The Portola Café and Restaurant, the fine-dining venue within the Monterey Bay Aquarium, is an airy, light-filled space surrounded by windows on three sides. The soothing, understated interior showcases a breathtaking view of Monterey Bay, where one can watch otters wrap themselves in kelp while cormorants swim and dive nearby.
It is here that I have the chance to talk with Alton Brown, creator and star of Good Eats on the Food Network. Alton combines his background in film and video with his culinary training -- he attended the New England Culinary Institute -- to produce a show that offers clear and clever scientific explanations of everyday cooking processes.
We sit at a window-side table in a corner of the restaurant. Alton has just come from presenting awards to sustainability-minded chefs and delivering a lecture at the closing ceremony of the Cooking for Solutions conference. Although still beautifully dressed in the suit he wore for the presentation, he manages to look informal as well as dapper. Is it possible to describe someone as wearing an entire suit at a rakish angle? That's the feeling I get when we sit down to talk. I realize how long it's been since I've had occasion to use the word jaunty, but that's the one that comes to mind when I search for ways to describe Alton.
During his lecture, Alton announced that his TV show would begin focusing on sustainability issues: how crops are grown and animals are raised. The shift in focus would be a form of penance, he said.
At the restaurant, I ask him what he meant by that. "I've spent the last nine years influencing what people do with food, but I haven't taught them about the real essence of feeding themselves, and I feel that it's high time to step up to bat," he says. "I've been busy being clever, but now I want to use what credibility I may have to help people think about sustainability."
To Serve and Protect
Alton went on to explain that his eight-year-old daughter has had an enormous impact on his life. She forces him to think about the future quality of life on the planet. He has also been thinking hard about what she should learn about the environment, he said, adding that watching his daughter engage with the world reminds him of his own experiences when he was her age. His childhood heroes were two public-television icons: Julia Child of cooking fame and Jacques Cousteau, the seafaring French ecologist/explorer.
He wants to combine what he learned from both of them by taking a "serve and protect" approach to cooking and eating. "It's the same motto as the L.A. police department," he said. "I think it makes sense to try to change the way food is grown and animals are raised rather than by, for example, just not eating animals. We can't fix problems by shunning them." In effect, he is calling for a kind of enlightened omnivorism. "I sometimes wish that Theodore Roosevelt were still around," he said. "He believed that we can eat and care for animals at the same time."
The first step in this revolution, Alton believes, is to examine and rework our current system of values. "We place the highest value on cheapness," he said, harking back to a point he had made at the lecture: that while we like to think we value the lives of the animals we eat, it's obviously not so, as is clearly demonstrated by the way that we waste animal products.
What's Your "Chicken Moment"?
Alton stressed that people are too far removed from the foods that feed them, adding that his generation is the first in his family not to farm at least some of the food that they eat. This distance between farm and plate has forced us to accept inferior food. "A friend of ours had chickens and she gave us fresh eggs and I got addicted to them," he said. "Once you eat fresh eggs, you realize what eggs are really supposed to taste like. Fresh eggs have deep yellow yolks and a lot of flavor."
The experience led to an epiphany: everyone should raise hens. "There's no reason you can't raise chickens in the city," he said, adding that he keeps 25 chickens at the television studio he uses in Georgia.
Chicken also played a pivotal role in his daughter's understanding of food systems. The family was having dinner at Bolo, a restaurant owned by Brown's Food Network colleague Bobby Flay, on a trip to New York City. Brown's daughter was served a plate of roasted chicken. She looked at it for a while, and then declared "That's a chicken!" She made the connection between the chicken on the plate and the chickens that populate farms and children's books. Alton explained to her that yes, these chickens are the same as the ones from the barnyard, and that people care for them, then kill them and eat them. She was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm OK with that."
Alton wishes everyone could experience his or her own "chicken moment" -- the moment when we realize, in a visceral and undeniable way, that the animals we eat have lives, and that we are as responsible for the way they live as we are for the way they die.
Kitchen Failures and Dinner Invitations
I told Alton that one of the things that I think is wonderful about cooking is that, apart from a small investment of time and money, the stakes are generally pretty low. When you mess up, you can usually eat the mistake. I added that I purposely write about my screw-ups and failures so that readers will feel more comfortable messing around in the kitchen.
Alton picked up the theme and ran with it. "If something I cook turns out badly, I serve it anyway, even to company," Alton said. "When I cook something that's really awful, my daughter will spear it with a fork and hold it up and say, 'Dad! What's the story here?' which I find very funny."
I asked Alton whether, once he started being a TV chef, people stopped asking him over for dinner. "No, thankfully," he replied. "I never criticize food. I never take anyone's hospitality for granted. I am genuinely appreciative. I would eat a communion wafer smeared with mayo if that's what I was offered."
I watched as a nice young woman from the aquarium staff brought Alton two glasses of white wine and apologized for not remembering the names of each wine. "Not to worry!" Alton said as he quickly poured the contents of one glass into the other and then back again, like a mad scientist working with beakers. It was like watching an episode of his show.
Balancing Act
The topic turned to ways of inspiring people to think hard about sustainability. "People need to learn about sustainability as the need for a system in balance," he began. "The first step is to question everything. Question different aspects of the food system, one at a time. We might not get answers right away, but non-answers are just as valuable!"
As the waves lashed outside the window, he turned his attention to the high seas. "Somebody's got to get serious about what's happening to the oceans." Alton talked about illegal fishing as a form of modern-day piracy, "with fish as the booty." He wasn't kidding. Then he added this: "Somebody needs to sink the Japanese tuna fleet. Everyone's willing to point the finger, but nobody's willing to pull the trigger."
Surprised by such a rash declaration, and wanting to present a more effective, lasting, and peaceful alternative, I asked Alton if he would be willing to crew on a Greenpeace boat. Several Greenpeace ships are currently documenting and publicizing illegal tuna fishing operations and the subsequent transfer of tuna to refrigerated mother ships (a practice that's called, accurately yet still unbelievably, "tuna laundering").
"Yes! Absolutely!" he answered. "Even the Rainbow Warrior?" I asked. "Well ...," he replied, laughing, "do they have any boats with better names?" (They do, the Esperanza and the Arctic Sunrise among them.)
Hey, Greenpeace, I think you have a recruit. (To see what life is like on a Greenpeace boat, read the blogs of some of the crew members.)
We finished our conversation and I returned to the halls of the aquarium, where hundreds of people were tasting wine, eating asparagus flan, sampling grilled bison, and savoring goat cheese. I tasted a few dishes and then headed back to the hotel to type up my notes, and to wonder what the future holds for Alton and for the world's shrinking tuna population. I'll be tuning in to the Food Network to find out.
Mojo Moulies
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown
Alton shared with me this delicious, simple preparation for mussels (moules in French) -- labeled an "excellent choice" in sustainability terms by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch.
Flex your mussels.
1 large leek, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped
Pinch kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
20 mussels
1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cups white wine
Chopped parsley
Hardware:
8-quart nonreactive, stainless steel stockpot
Metal colander or steamer insert
In the stockpot, sweat the garlic, leeks, and salt in the olive oil until softened over medium-low heat. Place the mussels in the colander and spray them with cold water to remove any excess dirt or grit. Remove any beards with a pair of needle-nose pliers.
Add the chopped tomato and the wine to the stockpot and turn the heat to medium high, and bring to a simmer. Insert the colander of mussels into the stockpot and cover. After 3 minutes, check to see if the mussels have opened. If some are still closed, cover the pot, and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Discard any unopened mussels.
Place the mussels in a serving bowl. Remove 10 mussels from their shells and add them to the stockpot. Using a stick blender or a bar blender, puree the mussels until the liquid is of a sauce-like consistency.
Pour the sauce over the mussels and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately, with a loaf of crusty bread.
Climate Citizen: Mary Stuart Masterson
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Comments
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caniscandida Posted 2:24 am
19 Jun 2008
Within his botanical specializations, I allow he has the edge.
But when it comes to fisheries, I continue to believe the term "sustainable" is a fraud. We simply do not know enough about aquatic/marine ecosystems, on two important levels:
we do not know as much as we should about the ecosystems that support the aquatic/marine animals whom we like to plunder;
we do not know as much as we should about the residents of the entire community of any aquatic/marine ecosystem, who they are, how many of them there are, and what their effect on their community is.
When it comes to seafood, sure, the Monterey Bay Aquarium color-coded guide may be fine for now; we have one, stuck up with duck-shaped magnets, on our refrigerator (not that we ever eat seafood).
But the use of the word "sustainable" to describe OK-at-present fisheries is simply a lie.
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askantik Posted 3:55 am
19 Jun 2008
As for sustainability, even if all animals areraised by small farmers, meat and dairy products will always (yep, always) be less efficient than eating plant foods. It's called the food chain... and the higher up you go, the less efficient it is, even in nature, where it's about as sustainable as it gets.
Furthermore, and most importantly (to me), I personally don't care if all animals get world-class treatment and live in condominiums with butlers until the ripe age of 50-- the fact remains that they are raised, unnecessarily, for the sole purpose of slaughter. It doesn't matter how "sustainable" or "organic" or "humane" you make it, that's how it is. Fundamentally, it clashes with my personal philosophy. If he is okay with it, then that is fine.
And he can say what he thinks doesn't make sense, but I feel that it doesn't make sense to eat animals when it's unnecessary (especially for Westerners), in most cases less healthy, always less energy efficient, and lowers the general food supply rather than raising it. I do not see the point in taking a life when I do not need to. It provides me with little (or no) comfort to know that the animal's life was good up until the its death.
Anyway, I feel deeply that everyone is welcome to have their point of view. But I also feel deeply that I should be able to express mine. I hope I do not come across as an asshole, because I certainly don't mean to. I just strive to create an intelligent argument for compassion towards animals that is far from any of the extreme, stupid shit that PETA and it's allies do. Thanks!
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docnoyo Posted 4:08 am
19 Jun 2008
-Doc
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latenac Posted 4:57 am
19 Jun 2008
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caniscandida Posted 7:40 am
19 Jun 2008
Let us move on, to a better way of relating to sentient fellow-creatures, than exploiting them and eating them.
Meanwhile, AB is worth listening to, when it comes to threatening fishing fleets, among whom the Japanese are just one. The Spanish (to my great sorrow, because I love Spain) are just as bad.
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latenac Posted 10:20 pm
19 Jun 2008
I'm really tired of the all or nothing attitudes. Awareness of where are food comes from and what it takes to get it is something I support. I support reducing meat consumption. I support paying real prices for food and for eating seasonally and trying to as much as you can locally. (I'm not giving up coffee) I'll even campaign that anyone who only eats boneless, skinless chicken breasts b/c they can't stand the idea of bones should be forced to become a vegetarian if not vegan. Or anyone else not willing to face up to the idea that they're eating an animal. I don't understand why all groups can't first work together to raise awareness of where our food comes from and the sustainability of it. And then we can split into our various religious (er I mean dietary) sects.
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Tai Haku Posted 1:48 am
20 Jun 2008
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askantik Posted 2:40 am
20 Jun 2008
Either way, I can make my argument, just as you can make yours. Everyone will not become a vegetarian, much less a vegan, but that does not stop me from trying to make an intelligent case for it. I became one, and so have many others, after years of eating meat, wearing leather, etc... It's not impossible for people to change of their own accord.
And it's not about "converting" someone... it's about being passionate about what you feel is right to your very deepest core. I do not like people who try to push their beliefs on others-- I tried to make that clear in my comment. All I ask is that you respect my beliefs and I will respect yours. But two people can still respect each other while disagreeing and having a rational, intelligent argument about something. If they couldn't, then we wouldn't be where we are today.
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latenac Posted 3:02 am
20 Jun 2008
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latenac Posted 3:04 am
20 Jun 2008
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TheJewAndTheCarrot Posted 5:04 am
20 Jun 2008
Needless to say, I've been pretty disappointed in The Food Network's programming choices lately - so hearing about Alton's new sustainability focus is thrilling! I might just have to start watching again.
Leah
The Jew & The Carrot
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jedimomma Posted 5:56 am
20 Jun 2008
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AREAD Posted 11:43 pm
20 Jun 2008
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caniscandida Posted 10:42 am
22 Jun 2008
there is no such thing as a "sustainable fishery." The well-known lists of recommended and not recommended seafood published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute (and perhaps there are others) are a bit misleading in that regard. At present, it does indeed happen (fortunately) that many fish and other marine animals are caught not in excess, and the same numbers of those animals can be counted on to be present and available for catching in the next few years. But in fact we do not know enough about what affects marine ecosystems -- or about human demand -- to make solid predictions about "sustainability." And in this age of global warming, marine ecosystems are even less certain.
LateNac,
eat what you want. I am not pushing you to do anything you do not want to. All I am saying is, embracing a dead animal, whose flesh you intend to feed upon, is not very classy.
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AREAD Posted 9:06 pm
22 Jun 2008
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latenac Posted 12:42 am
23 Jun 2008
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javaearth Posted 1:01 am
23 Jun 2008
This is meant to be an environmentally consciousness mag. I see so many words/phrases like "green", "sustainability", "locally grown", "support your local farmers", "factory farming is bad" blah, blah, blah. But as soon as someone suggests not eating animals. Well now that becomes fights words.
On the one hand these and other articles alike want people to change. Yet when there are questions about changing ones own ethical eating patterns. - There is such a abrasive fight, (often turning into personal attacks).
As a conclusion, I think these authors and readers only want change, - to a certain extent. A change that only supports their current way of eating, but allows themselves to feel better about the dead animals they eat.
Now, here is the real kicker - When a vegetarian or a vegan wants that same platform to ask for change, they are called hypocrites, preachy, self-righteous, --- and all sorts of other names! - Just because they are pointing out a more ethical way of eating!
Oh and by the way - "Chicken Moment" - what the F is all that about. Whether you personally know your chicken, or you don't, do you really think the animal cares either way? I mean, seriously do you think the chicken, says "Well, now that I have seen the face of my killer, I feel so much better!"
F'ing hilarious!
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latenac Posted 2:16 am
23 Jun 2008
That's the problem no real discussion can take place apparently on this site that includes all types of dietary lifestyles without vegans apparently coming in and say "you call yourself environmentalists? you can't be an environmentalist unless you're a vegan."
As for the "chicken moment" it has nothing to do with the chicken feeling better. It's the act of recognizing where you're food comes from and what it takes to bring it to your plate.
Do you recognize all the field animals that might have been killed bringing your dinner to your plate? I mean the mice, squirrels, rabbits, insects, etc., etc? Do you recognize the migrant labor that goes into your food? Unfortunately or maybe fortunately every dietary choice comes with a list of sacrifices that we need to recognize. It's not like a vegan lifestyle absolves you of all guilt about your groceries. Just as an omnivore diet doesn't absolve me of all guilt.
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javaearth Posted 3:33 am
23 Jun 2008
My answer: Yes. I grew up in Orthodox religious family. And every year we had days (usually one or two) where we fasted to absolve the sins of causing the death of the field animals for our foods. Now, as an adult I do not belong to any religious infrastructure. But I still dedicate one day of fasting to acknowledge this. The fasting is not a self denial, but rather reorganization, of the lives that were lost. And the importance of being grateful for what I have on my dinner plate.
Your question: Do you recognize the migrant labor that goes into your food?
My answer: Being an immigrant myself, I do recognize the hard labors my counter parts have to endure. I am lucky to have a professional white collar job, but I know many immigrants that work on the fields as well as the slaughter houses. The people that work in the fields would rather pick vegetables and fruits than the work in the slaughter houses. Slaughter house have accidents are at an alarming rate, but are not reported due to illegal immigration status or legal lower economic status.
Anyway, this veering off the point. --
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caniscandida Posted 4:55 am
23 Jun 2008
LATenAc,
the density of your anthropocentrism is amazing. "Knowing where my meat comes from" is indeed more than most carnivores know -- so congratulations. Surely, though, you realize there is more to the ethical big picture than what satisfies merely your nutrition and your health?
But go ahead, eat what you want to eat. There is always something inhumane, when we eat without considering the true cost of our meal.
AREAD,
so OK, go with Alton Brown, the Monterey Bay Aquarium (who have notably become more permissive lately -- one wonders why), and Seafood Watch.
But your observation is telling, that there are a few definitions of "sustainable" floating around out there. Pardon me, for suggesting that only the strictest of those definitions be considered worthwhile.
LATenAc, AREAD, and Alton Brown,
Bon appe'tit. : (
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latenac Posted 5:18 am
23 Jun 2008
And btw, I'm not a carnivore, I'm an omnivore. My cats on the other hand are all obligate carnivores.
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javaearth Posted 8:05 am
23 Jun 2008
I hear "I am part of the food chain" a lot. And I have always wanted to ask, - who eats you?
I can understand humans being eaten by bears and lions in the jungle, if we did not use any weapons or machinery. But really in comparison that occurs so infrequently that's not even worth considering. - Example 10 billion animals slaughtered per year, 10 bear attacks. - bear usually than killed.
Also when people are buried maybe worms feed on dead bodies, but many people are getting recremated. So Again who eats you?
So technically its not really a chain, - its more like we use all the dominance we have against animals that are mostly defenseless against our guns and agriculture machines.
Somehow it does not seem fair, - or maybe for some people being fair is not that crucial. - Just an observation!
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caniscandida Posted 2:08 pm
23 Jun 2008
Here is a curious statement:
<<
Placing all animals as being equal and worrying about animal suffering above all else is anthropomorphism in the extreme.
>>
Watch out, LATenAC, those solecisms will accumulate to dangerous levels in your brain in time, and become a serious problem.
But before the disease disables you quite, please explain this remarkable suggestion of yours, that concern for animal welfare, and promotion of animal rights, are anthropomorphic "in the extreme."
You might also add a comment on why this conversation merits being continued. You carnivores (or "omnivores," if you think that hides the embarrassing truth better) will go on eating meat as you like, and will always find fine justifications for carrying on with that ancient traditional pointless cruel practice; and we others will continue doubting your thoughtfulness.
So, let us cease and desist.
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latenac Posted 8:44 pm
23 Jun 2008
A chain isn't a circle. Hence the phrase, top of the food chain.
At least I haven't resorted to personal attacks. If that's all that you are down to then I understand why you wish to stop the conversation.
Anthropomorphism n. Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.
If you can't see how you attribute human characteristics or motivation to animals by setting animals as the same as humans then you're right we have nothing to talk about.
For the record the conversation at least for me was more about being able to meet halfway. Alton Brown promoting sustainability will bring a lot more people to understanding where their food comes from than calling people diseased or thoughtless unless they become a vegan. And it's not just because he has a television show.
Heidi Swanson has done more to make increasing my vegetarian meals by just showing tasty, veggie, whole foods and not preaching. And maybe one day I'll find the vegan equivalent and I'll understand veganism as more than just a religion or political movement but as also joy in food and something that takes everything into account not just animals.
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jaimelees Posted 6:32 am
24 Jun 2008
Go Alton!
ps - to whomever said it earlier...I miss the two fat ladies even though they made gross stuff sometimes ;) they were the best.
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darkphoenix Posted 9:23 am
24 Jun 2008
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beanstockd Posted 3:37 am
27 Jun 2008
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