Comments Kurt Michael Friese has made
- Hope folks will look to fill the void left by Gourmet's demise with the far less elitist, far less bi-coastal, far MORE local "Edible" Magazines. Locally owned and produced in 50+ communities across the US & Canada: http://www.ediblecommunities.com Peace, kmfOn What Gourmet's critics missed posted 1 month, 1 week ago 5 Responses
Splashy - While it's possible that the "organic" eggs you buy in the grocery are humanely treated, it is unlikely. A great resource for finding a farmer near you (not just for eggs but for anything farmers grow) is Local Harvest.
On UPDATED: The cruelty of industrial egg-riculture -- plus a tasty recipe for your local pastured eggs posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago 10 Responses
Dr X - I'm afraid you'll need to ask a farmer about that mown forage question. Perhaps the link above would be useful for finding that answer as well.Yes we do. Abot 60% of our menu is vegetarian, and about a third of that is vegan.
On UPDATED: The cruelty of industrial egg-riculture -- plus a tasty recipe for your local pastured eggs posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago 10 Responses'Fraid I can't help toy on who first coined it, but it's a blanket term that refers to companies like Monsanto, Tyson and ADM, to large corporate-owned farms, to the family farms that are trapped in corporate contracts, CAFOs broadly, and to the lobbists associate with all the above.
On Top USDA official gets serious about local/regional food systems posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago 8 Responses
That help?Sadly we need a lot more than $1B. Merely for the increase that the Slow Food Time for Lunch program is calling for, $1 per meal, we're talking about $5.4B/yr. And that will only be of help if the money is earmarked specifically for purchase of local and sustainably-raised fresh ingredients, and if we go ahead with the Food Corps program described in the Time for Lunch platform.
On Top USDA official gets serious about local/regional food systems posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago 8 Responses
That's why everyone's support is need on September 7th, and why we need all the signatures we can get on the petition." Is there any larger body uniting them all together to give them a bigger voice collectively? "
Funny you should mention...
On Let's (re)do school lunch posted 3 months ago 18 ResponsesActually, yes I do see it, in my own magazine in fact. Sadly I do not yet have Mr. Pollan's audience.
But Slow Food is wading into Food Politics right now, and organizations like Roots of Change and the American (not National"!) Corn Growers are also doing great work.
On Sustainable ag meets the MSM -- and wins! posted 3 months ago 14 ResponsesNot sure if it's what you intended here, but you seem to be calling those 3 gov't programs Liberal. Some do have backing or even sponsorship from Liberal rep's & sen's, but they are far from Liberal in their scope - they are bought and paid for by Tyson, ConAgra, Monsanto and Smithfield, hardly a group of lefty wingnuts.
On Sustainable ag meets the MSM -- and wins! posted 3 months ago 14 ResponsesWell it is the intent nonetheless, and I encourage you to attend your local eat-in and make your feelings known there. in addition, please feel free to voice your concerns to the Campaign Staff, listed here, and to Ann Cooper herself, who supports our initiative.
On Let's (re)do school lunch posted 3 months, 1 week ago 18 ResponsesI do not blame teachers. Nor do I blame the workers in the kitchens. In fact, we are trying to help them, give them the necessary tools. The dollar increase is mandated directly toward ingredients, and the Food Corps idea helps the workers in the kitchens. I do blame any entrenched interests that fear change.
My ideas for a longer school day and year are not part of the Slow Food platform, nor did I say they were. And of course they would cost more money and of course we should spend it. To those who say I'm just throwing money at the problem I say gimme something else and I'll throw that too. Schools should be cathedrals and teachers should be among the best paid people in the country. Sadly no one has figured out a way to pay for that yet. Until America realigns its own priorities, its not going to happen.
This does not mean we shouldn't do what IS possible. I admire your desire to fix everything all at once, but I refuse to do nothing simply because we can't do everything. This platform is not - nor does it claim to be - a panacea. But it offers a path to improvement and we should take it.
On Let's (re)do school lunch posted 3 months, 1 week ago 18 ResponsesYou and I are close to agreeing here. I'd just change where you say "please don't mislead people (or Congress) into thinking that $1 more per free lunch is going to fix anything...." - to - "...is going to fix EVERYthing." And we have no delusions that it will fix everything. But doubling the amount spent on ingredients, incentivizing the purchase of local, sustainable food, protecting against food that put children at risk, teaching children healthy habits, and building a School Lunch Corps will have a big impact on health (and on the local economy, BTW). Please do read the platform.
It took nearly 20 years to get Congress to raise minimum wage by a dollar, and that's something they don't even have to budget for. If they'll do this, they'll see rapid return on investment and that's the best way to get anyone to do anything again - fast ROI.
On Let's (re)do school lunch posted 3 months, 1 week ago 18 ResponsesThis is undoubtedly a long-term process and we would also like to see more spent on school lunch programs year-over-year. Slow Food USA did a lot of research with industry experts and school lunch advocates to come up with a number that we felt was attainable.
$5 would be great, but in budget times like this it's simply unrealistic to think we could get such a provision passed.
I agree that our children deserve better and the first thing we need to do is get Congress to address that need. The actual amount will be debated by our legislators, so it's important to not only debate the need for more funding on Grist.org, but also to write our legislators to make sure our opinions are heard when the reauthorization is put before Congress.
On Let's (re)do school lunch posted 3 months, 1 week ago 18 Responses"Nestwife" -
Perhaps I could have been clearer. It refers to the amount actually spent on food.
Under the National School Lunch Program, the USDA reimburses schools for every meal served: $2.57 for a free lunch, $2.17 for a reduced-price lunch and 24 cents for a paid lunch. Since these reimbursements must also pay for labor, equipment and overhead costs, schools are left with only $1.00 to spend on food. How can schools be expected to feed our children and protect their health with only a dollar a day? It’s time to build a strong foundation for our children’s health by raising the reimbursement rate to $3.57.
On Let's (re)do school lunch posted 3 months, 1 week ago 18 Responses
More details on the Slow Food platform are hereAll the more reason to support Slow Food's Time for Lunch campaign! Call on Congress to provide the resources necessary to get REAL FOOD in our school. Sign the petition, and find a Labor Day "Eat-In" near you here
On Cargill, the National School Lunch Program, and antibiotic-resistant salmonella posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago 3 ResponsesCath,
Not really a problem as even raw lamb is rarely if ever harmful as long as it's fresh. If you are concerned though, of course you could bring the marinade to a boil. But watch it carefully - it's full of oil and can burn or even ignite. Also, it'll change the flavor somewhat.
On From grass to grill, a Midwestern farm struts its stuff -- and dishes up delicious lamb chops posted 5 months, 1 week ago 4 ResponsesThanks! I'm a big fan of the allium family, too, especially garlic
On In the lush dirt of Iowa, community grows alongside veggies posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago 4 ResponsesYou're in a great place to go local. Slow Food USA's office is right there in Brooklyn, and a great resource for all things local is Edible Brooklyn.
On In the lush dirt of Iowa, community grows alongside veggies posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago 4 Responses
PS: Love the bars on Smith StreetWhen Truman signed the School Lunch act, he said "In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more prosperous than its farmers"
Where are the farmers in this system? And where is the health of our children?
On Vilsack makes an industry-friendly pick to head the school lunch program posted 7 months, 2 weeks ago 5 ResponsesRight you are Tom. This is why the very internet where this is posted is a good model for for a food system. It was designed originally as a communication tool that could survive a nuclear attack because it had a weblike structure instead of a linear one. If Chicago were taken out, the communications between New York and LA could still get thru via anouther route.
Localizing the food system would have a similar effect, adding food security and nutritional value in the process. Sure some foods must be obtained from elsewhere (here in Iowa we have no source of salt, for example) but that which can be produced locally should be, for reasons of freshness, nutrition, flavor, security and economy, to name just a few.
On Toward a less efficient and more robust food system posted 7 months, 3 weeks ago 7 ResponsesAll very well said, and thanks so much for singing the praises of Iowa's own Dave Murphy, who did in 3 weeks what Roots of Change's Food Declaration couldn't do in 6 months - draw a large following for a simple political idea and have an impact.
Dave is one of the founders of Iowa's seventh Slow Food Chapter, and we couldn't be prouder to have him as an important part of the movement.
On The food movement needs to hone its political skills posted 7 months, 3 weeks ago 1 Responsepouring off the oil
Linzzay,
I left out the pouring off the excess oil part because I use far less oil. Neither I nor your former flatmate are wrong, we just learned from different teachers.
Peace,
kmfOn When you get fed up with separating trash, make a quick-and-easy Spanish-style tortilla posted 10 months, 1 week ago 11 Responseskmp
that all sounds great! good call on the spring greens - now if they could just get here...On When you get fed up with separating trash, make a quick-and-easy Spanish-style tortilla posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago 11 Responses
Willa
I won't enter into a debate on women's rights with you (my feminist bona fides are fine, thank you), but it certainly is a sacred practice and a baseline expectation for me, and those for whom it is a "thankless task" ought to demand more respect.
And as for knowing that mine "is not the only perspective," of course I know that, and have said so repeatedly. Doesn't make mine invalid.On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
Pangolin
Don't get me wrong, I am the last person to be against eating out - my livelihood depends on it. I need people to go out to eat so that I can pay for 2 kids in college.
But what I object to in the KFC ad is that it is the perfect encapsulation of the mass delusion that mistakes frenzy for efficiency. It perpetuates the myth that cooking is a chore rather than a sacred practice, and furthers the concept that we are consumers rather than citizens.
Nourishing our families is more important than fueling our cars, and the two processes should not be conducted in identical manners.On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
to CTCook and others re: energy costs
I found a website that calculates the cost of energy usage. With their stated US average $0.11/KwH, the stove would cost $0.09 and the dishwasher $0.15 for 1 full load. Still looking for a price of the water in the dishwasher, but that seems likely to be a similar amount. Thus we a re still talking a full 15% cheaper to make it at home, and you get better food and more time with your family (in the kitchen and at the table rather than in front of the TV)
For Shuvi - I am a devoted omnivore, however for vegetarian recipes my go-to books are any in the series by Deborah Madison. All delicious and very approachable.
And to many others re: adding vegetables - yes absolutely. The only reason I did not here was to stick to the spirit of the "challenge." Since vegetables are relatively cheap, you can easily add some and still be within the price range.On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
Phin
All good stuff. reminds me I should have mentioned earlier a piece I wrote over on Culinate.com entitled: Three Days on One Chicken and Other Depression Folklore.
Check it out at
http://www.culinate.com/mix/dinner_guest/three_days_on_on ...On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
ajazzfan
Actually, a trip to the grocery store or the farmers market once a week will garner all the food for that week, not just one meal as the drive-thru would, so the gas used there is a tiny fraction of the gas used to visit the Colonel.
As for time, everyone in the world has exactly the same amount of time each day. It is a matter of priorities and what we each consider to be worthy of our time. As I said above to SolarGecko, if you don't want to do this, then by all means don't. But you will miss out on something especially rewarding.
And please don't fall victim to the fast food contagion that mistakes frenzy for efficiency. On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
SolarGecko
Because cooking is more than "getting healthful nutrition."
Now I'm no fascist about this and if you don't want to cook for your family then you shouldn't; not least because it won't be very good if you don't want to do it. But cooking is one of those precious things that makes us distinct from the rest of the animal kingdom. You can find virtually any other human behavior in other animals, from laughing to using tools to killing their own kind. Some even prepare their food, such as spiders and alligators. But we are the only ones who apply heat to our food, and I believe that makes cooking deserving of a certain reverence.
Cooking is not just the primary way I provide sustenance to my family. It is one of the ways I impart my love.On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
Woops!
Seems I posted that last comment while logged into my wife's account. The one above, posted under the title "Philip," was me writing, not her.On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
Liz
Yeah, I thought about maybe doing a slaw or something else for a side, which would certainly be a more balanced, nutritious meal, but I wanted to stick to the letter of the "challenge." As this column continues @ Grist.org, I will occasionally revisit the subject of economical eating, and I promise that my menus will be better than KFC's.On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
Jenny
true enough, but MOST people work less than 16 hours a day. And this is just the meal that KFC proposes, so it's what I responded with. Any of these would take 30 minutes or less, all made from scratch:
Pasta Pomadoro (or just about any pasta)
Red Beans & Rice
Lentil curry
Most stir-frys
Steamed or sauteed fish with rice and veg
Broiled pork/lamb/veal chops with mashed potatoes and peas
grilled tuna & asparagus with quinoa (and/or spaghetti squash)Not to mention that many dishes require long cooking times but not time spent hands-on attending to it, like roasts.
And another note - none of this is a criticism of anyone except KFC and their marketing people, least of all hardworking single parents.On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
About an hour
I made the potatoes and the biscuits while the chicken was frying, and then shut off the oven and kept the chicken warm in there while I made the gravy.On How I beat KFC's 'family meal' challenge posted 1 year ago 46 Responses
You'll have to ask Chug
While I have made quite a study of it, I am no "expert" on recognizing apple varieties. All I can tell you is that this apple hung from a tree labeled "Hawkeye" at Chug Wilson's Orchard in Iowa City. I can also tell you it was dang tasty, if a bit overripe.On From Iowa's apple orchards, a delicious heirloom and a recipe for stuffing posted 1 year, 1 month ago 3 Responses
What's your point?
Jonas -
Are you implying that I don't have to work for a living? If that's true I hope you'll inform my mortgage company. And Slow Food's "exporting," as you put it, of its ideas has been warmly received in over 150 countries. Fine if you don't like the ideas of Good, Clean & Fair food, but that's certainly not reason enough not to share them with others.
Glad you like the recipes.On A few thoughts on an amazing event -- and a recipe for a delectably slow-cooked pasta sauce posted 1 year, 2 months ago 6 Responses
2 answers
G - well I'd suggest getting an electric oven, they are more efficient and less expensive. But in the meantime this drying process can also be done the old fashioned way, something I wrote about here
MTV - I am not very familiar with the solar ovens, but if you can control the temperature adequately I don't see why not. Meanwhile the article noted above may also be of help to you.On A few thoughts on an amazing event -- and a recipe for a delectably slow-cooked pasta sauce posted 1 year, 2 months ago 6 Responses
interesting...
...but here in the US it is not illegal. We do however always wear hair restraints, wash & sanitize our hand repeatedly and religiously, and keep a scrupulously clean floor in our kitchen and dining room.
That said, I see no harm. Interesting that the UK has that reg. though. Is it from the same set of regulations that cause me to have to disclose whether I visited a farm when coming home from there? Some fear of mad cow or hoof and mouth or something?On The dog days of summer mean bountiful farm stands and spicy salsas posted 1 year, 3 months ago 4 Responses
It's dangerous out there
And part of the purpose of rides like RAGBRAI is to raise awareness of proper bicycle safety and etiquette, while also getting drivers to understand that bikes are traffic like anything else and to start SEEING bikes.
Clearly the problems jabailo cites are the result of the perpetrators' own psychological illnesses, call it road rage I guess.
Every time I ride my bike to work, I save 1 quart of gasoline. It's 12 miles round trip and my car is a Prius. Those who drive lower-mileage cars can save even more. Less money spent, less carbon in the air, less need for foreign oil, and on and on. So drivers need to start being a bit more aware and appreciative.On After a mass bike ride across Iowa, a slow-food chef picks up the pace posted 1 year, 4 months ago 4 Responses
yileds...
1 auflauf each time. Don't try to scale the recipe - make each one individually, they come out better. making big batches leads to over mixing, which makes for tough, chewy auflaufs (yuk!).On Simple cooking can produce delicious results -- like old-fashioned Austrian pancakes posted 1 year, 4 months ago 8 Responses
No argument at all...
... except to say that I was raised on these, and my Austrian Grandma called'em auflaufs. Neither you nor I are right or wrong, that just is what it is.
Could be any number of causes to the differentiation, having to do with regional differences, changes during immigration of different people at different times, who knows?
To me the fundamental difference between these and crepes is that crepes have melted butter in the batter and these do not. But such semantic arguments are endless. The important thing is that we keep our respective family traditions alive in the kitchen and around the table.On Simple cooking can produce delicious results -- like old-fashioned Austrian pancakes posted 1 year, 4 months ago 8 Responses
Just for the record...
...the photo above is NOT my dear departed grandmother.On Simple cooking can produce delicious results -- like old-fashioned Austrian pancakes posted 1 year, 4 months ago 8 Responses
The trout
John,
Our trout comes from an organic farm in Wisconsin - it's linked in the recipe.On Iowa's chefs and their farmer-suppliers get busy recovering from disaster posted 1 year, 5 months ago 15 Responses
Thanks
My thanks to mtvyfan and latenac for your kind thoughts. Indeed, latenac, my contacts in NOLA tell me that folks down there have been eager to give back - and so they will begin with a fundraising lunch at the Crescent City Market tomorrow.
Namaste,
kmfOn Iowa's chefs and their farmer-suppliers get busy recovering from disaster posted 1 year, 5 months ago 15 Responsessourcing
I always recommend Seed Savers, Iowa's gift to the food world. They carry only heirloom varieties. Also, their gardens were hard hit by the storms, and so they could use your support.
Peace,
kmfOn As storms rage on the prairie, strawberries and rhubarb bring comfort posted 1 year, 5 months ago 4 Responsesnumbers
Today corn went for $8.07 on the CBT, soy for $15.65. 250 miles of the Mississippi is closed, so the reserve corn we have can't be shipped. 36,000 Iowans are newly homeless. ADM and quaker cannot ship form Cedar Rapids because their rail bridge collapsed (with a traiin on it, by the way).
Farm land now sells over $6K an acre, and with several million acres under water, the remaining ones will likely be even MORE.
If we had a local/regional food system in place, this flood would still be a catastrophe, but it would only be a catastrophe for us, here; Not for all of you in the rest of the world who rely on corn and soy from the midwest grown using $140/barrel oil from the mideast.
Unsustainable.
Unsustainable.
Unsustainable.On As corn and soy fields drown in rainwater, the food crisis deepens posted 1 year, 5 months ago 19 ResponsesNot exactly
Thanks for the comment Emily, but just to be clear, it's my obsession with food I tend to assume others share. It's been made quite clear to me, here and other places over these many years, that not everyone shares my ideals. Of course, who could claim that?On Toward a civil, inclusive national conversation on food -- over a savory tart posted 1 year, 5 months ago 4 Responses
Oopps
Right you are, they go on after the olives.
Sorry for the slip up! It's what I get for transcribingOn Toward a civil, inclusive national conversation on food -- over a savory tart posted 1 year, 5 months ago 4 Responses
More on the subject...
I refer everyone to an excellent article on the subject from the Times of London, dated a couple months ago:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinio ...
Peace, kmf ___________________________________________________________________ A meal is a terrible thing to waste
On Chicago overturns 2-year old ordinance banning foie gras posted 1 year, 6 months ago 14 Responsestomatoes
Yep, that trick works well. A compromise between the two is to roast them - with olive oil and salt, very high heat for only a couple minutes - and then freeze them. Works especially well with the little ones, light bulb, cherry, midget and the like.On Warm up over a bowl of chili -- while planning your spring vegetable patch posted 1 year, 7 months ago 12 Responses
tomatoes
Yep, that trick works well. A compromise between the two is to roast them - with olive oil and salt, very high heat for only a couple minutes - and then freeze them. Works especially well with the little ones, light bulb, cherry, midget and the like.On Warm up over a bowl of chili -- while planning your spring vegetable patch posted 1 year, 7 months ago 12 Responses
cats
Well, I use dogs. They keep all the critters away. 'Fraid I'm not much help otherwise.On Warm up over a bowl of chili -- while planning your spring vegetable patch posted 1 year, 7 months ago 12 Responses
cats
Well, I use dogs. They keep all the critters away. 'Fraid I'm not much help otherwise.On Warm up over a bowl of chili -- while planning your spring vegetable patch posted 1 year, 7 months ago 12 Responses
Thanks "Bullish..."
Always a positive thing contacting your rep, making sure they know your feelings, and happy to see Rep. Peterson have such positive things to say about small farms, local ag and sustainability.
But establishment of a subcommittee, I can firmly say as a businessman of many years, accomplishes exactly squat.
Easy it is indeed to talk to them. Much harder to get an effective response. Kinda like the weather: everybody talks about it, but nobody actually DOES anything about it.
Peace, kmf ___________________________________________________________________ A meal is a terrible thing to waste
On Why the USDA wants to stop local food posted 1 year, 8 months ago 4 ResponsesThe bumber sticker here
In the midwest it says:
Fuel from midwest bean fields,
Not mideast oil fieldsOn Why are biofuels losing steam in Europe -- and barreling ahead in the U.S.? posted 1 year, 8 months ago 4 ResponsesRight You Are, Kuroneko...
...but you will find that many others ARE reporting the lack of CCD in organic hives. I did so in my article on the subject, and you'll see it all over many of the Edible Communities family of magazines this spring.
Peace, kmf ___________________________________________________________________ A meal is a terrible thing to waste
On Haagen-Dazs says CCD could interrupt your ice cream fix posted 1 year, 9 months ago 9 ResponsesA response to caniscandida
Canis -
That message in this case would be, if you'd read the article linked here, that the wanton use of chemical pesticides is providing a good example of how plants and animals do not live in a food chain but in a food web, and one vanished species can effect the others. Witness what has happened to other food species when humans stopped cultivating or consuming them:
75% of European food product diversity has been lost since 1900
93% of American food product diversity has been lost in the same time period
33% of livestock varieties have disappeared or are near disappearing
30,000 vegetable varieties have become extinct in the last century, and one more is lost every six hours
As to your question about who "we" are, it seems apparent, Canis, that you and I are not quite of the same viewpoint. However I believe we can agree that a massive loss of the honeybee population is a detriment to everyone's way of life, yours, mine, and the bees included.
I wonder though if your stand against the consumption and domestication of animal species extends to pets? To Horseback riding? To work animals? To seeing-eye dogs? Domestication of bees is not what is killing them - in fact it has greatly advanced there numbers. Chemical pollution, on the other hand, has caused clear calamities.
Though I am sure I will never convince Canis of this, it is possible to be a compassionate carnivore. It is also possible for humans and other animals to benefit each other, not just one for the other, but a two way street.
Lastly, to Canis' other two points, that "it is not clear that that is quite what Hershey's and Haagen Dazs are hearing; and environmentalists are not clearly united and univocal in delivering it." First a point of order, it's Nestle that owns Haagen Dazs, not Hershey. But more importantly I believe it is a message they are receiving because the only way to get the attention of corporate barons is to hit them in the pocketbook, which a loss of supply would do to them - thus they notice.
And on your second point, clearly we are not univocal about this because there are many people who believe that environmentalism and domestication of animals are not compatible. I disagree, and contend that feeding the world even an all-organic, all-vegan diet would be impossible without enormous numbers of pollinators, both wild and domestic.
I wonder if I shall ever write a word upon which Canis and I can agree.
Peace, kmf ___________________________________________________________________ A meal is a terrible thing to waste
On Haagen-Dazs says CCD could interrupt your ice cream fix posted 1 year, 9 months ago 9 ResponsesBeat me to it
Tom,
I was just about to post on this, but glad you did so, and so well. A "jaw-dropper" indeed.
Tonight we celebrate this administration's LAST S.O.T.U. Hopefully we can put our heads down and get through these last 358 days.
Peace, kmf _________________ "In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more successful than its farmers" -Harry S. Truman
On Let cows eat vaccines along with distillers grains posted 1 year, 10 months ago 4 ResponsesSatchel Paige would say...
Don't do that Tim, somethin' might be gainin' on ya.
Peace, kmf _________________ "In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more successful than its farmers" -Harry S. Truman
On Livestock registration, pitched by feds as voluntary, is creeping toward mandatory posted 1 year, 10 months ago 2 ResponsesInstead...
Obama should look hard at Joe Biden. Southern, experienced, smart, and articulate (had to get that jab in there). It also sounds better than the aforementioned Obama-Sibelius ticket.
Peace, kmf _________________ "In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more successful than its farmers" -Harry S. Truman
On Number one reason Al Gore will not be Barack Obama's running mate posted 1 year, 10 months ago 4 ResponsesThe Bumpersticker
I just can't get past the bumpersticker.
Obama-Sebelius? The simpleminded among us (let's face it, they're the majority) would think it sounds too foreign.
Peace, kmf _________________ "In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more successful than its farmers" -Harry S. Truman
On Can the Kansas governor show toughness under assault from Big Coal? posted 1 year, 10 months ago 7 ResponsesPatrick in Beijing
The first thing I should point out is that we also put Obama firmly in contention as well, and with thousands more votes than any other candidate, including Huckabee. I'm very proud of that.
In answer to your question about immigration to your query about immigration, what we are doing here is encouraging immigrants to start the same kind of farms that are traditional in Mexico. Called "milpas" they are basically 10-15 acres with a wide variety of products and livestock. The INCA conference next month is centered on that idea. Then when chefs and savvy consumers support them, we get both good local food and sensible assimilation. Great way to build community.
I don't have any answers to the illegal immigration problem, other than removing the incentive to come to the US by making life better in Mexico. Meanwhile I'm going to keep working to make the new neighbors we are getting here feel welcome.
Peace, kmf _________________ "In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more successful than its farmers" -Harry S. Truman
On An Iowa chef takes issue with Time's Joel Stein posted 1 year, 10 months ago 18 ResponsesRailhead
I'm not entirely sure how big a railhead is, but we do have rail (freight only) running through Iowa City. If you mean a major depot though, you'd have to go to Cedar Rapids, about 20 miles north. That railyard is there primarily to service Quaker, ADM, and Tyson.
Peace, kmf _________________ "In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more successful than its farmers" -Harry S. Truman
On An Iowa chef takes issue with Time's Joel Stein posted 1 year, 10 months ago 18 ResponsesA few answers to John
- What I referred to is a "bicoastal mentality," one that is common on both coasts, that dismisses the heartland as bland, boring, unable to do anything well or present anything worthwhile. It is especially prevalent in publications like Time Magazine.
- So it would seem. Nor does he care much about the conditions under which his food is harvested, packaged and sold, the way the farmers are compensated, or the destination of his money.
- I'll say right up front that I do buy some things from the commercial wholesalers. This is because Iowa produces no (for example) olive oil, salt, chocolate, or oranges. Of the foods we do buy locally, a vast majority come from less than 100 miles away. The furthest items that I still refer to as local come from an organic fish farm in Wisconsin, about 150 miles or so from here.
Of the commercial stuff we buy, I'm sure some of it comes to the distributor by rail in some cases (diesel locomotive, not electric), but it all comes to me on a truck.
None of this is to say that what we do at Devotay is the perfect model. That's why I say that we buy everything FEASIBLE from local sources. Some things are not feasible here. If I were in LA, all or nearly all of the food on my current menu could be supplied from within 100 miles, or at least certainly from within the state.
My issues with Mr. Stein stem from his self-righteous shortsightedness, and from the snobby way he dismisses those of us who are trying to do what we can as "Luddites."
Not to mention that no one has yet pointed out the economic folly of his distantly-sourced victuals. The dollars he spent on that food are gone, never to return. Whereas the money I pay a local farmer helps him get his haircut and sends the barber to my restaurant. Looked at another way, if every one of the 45,000 household in my county redirected just $10 of the existing weekly food budget toward buying locally, it would keep more than $23 million in the local economy, improving everyone's lot - not just that of Mr. Stein's "European King."
Peace, kmf _________________ "In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more successful than its farmers" -Harry S. Truman
On An Iowa chef takes issue with Time's Joel Stein posted 1 year, 10 months ago 18 Responses- What I referred to is a "bicoastal mentality," one that is common on both coasts, that dismisses the heartland as bland, boring, unable to do anything well or present anything worthwhile. It is especially prevalent in publications like Time Magazine.