An Interview with Alice Waters - Food Revolutionary

If you know me you know I am obsessed with Alice Waters. And, hopefully at this point in our blogging relationship I do not have to tell you who she is. For those of you newbies or those who have been living under a food rock of sorts, she is the founder and mover and continued shaker of the local food movement. She opened the first restaurant using ONLY local ingredients in the country, Chez Panisse in Berkley in 1974. Since then she has sustained her reputation as a food mover but more importantly as a loud voice for the furthering relationship between consumers and farmers, or better the lack of relationship between our food and where it comes from.

She is currently travelling the country promoting her new book “The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons and Recipes From a Delicious Revolution”. In the article attached she spends the day shopping and preparing lunch for the NY Times journalist that is interviewing her (lucky stiff).

Please take the time to do a simple click of your mouse and read this article about not only this amazing woman but what you can do to improve the food supply of this country. We are an overweight and under-nourished country in desperate need of this food revolution and despite what critics say it is within our grasp......if only we would reach for it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/dining/19wate.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

“This kind of little gathering in the backyard is what reinforces our dedication,” she said. “That we can do something simply and easily with an unlikely group of people and all be in the same place because of the food on the table is how it happens.”
Alice Waters

Wine, bread, pastries and cigarettes.....

Sorry guys, this one's for the ladies. I started thinking we needed a bit of fun in my post for the weekend so here you go.

Last year I heard about a book called "French women don't get fat", maybe you've heard of it as well. Of course with that title who wouldn't want to read it right? I mean who hasn't watched a food show about Paris or seen all of the great food they enjoy and wondered "so why aren't those women fat"? They must have good genes right? Or maybe they just eat one meal a day and starve the rest, or maybe they live on wine, cigarettes and pastries. I actually thought all of these things at one time but most of all I knew I was jealous. No one loves bread more than the family I come from and wine and pastries?? Come on. So I bought the book, and then I bought it on tape to listen to in my car. Stylish, convincing, wise, funny and just in time: this is the ultimate non-diet book, which could radically change the way you think, live and EAT!

French women don't get fat, but they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals. In her delightful tale, Mireille Guiliano unlocks the simple secrets of this "French paradox" -– how to enjoy food and stay slim and healthy. It is a wonderfully charming, sensible, and powerfully life-affirming view of health and eating for our times.

Mireille went to America as an exchange student and came back fat. Big surprise right? That shock sent her into an adolescent tailspin, until her kindly family physician, "Dr. Miracle," as she calls him came to the rescue. Reintroducing her to classic principles of French gastronomy plus time-honored secrets of the local women, he helped her restore her shape and gave her a whole new understanding of food, drink, and life. The key? Not guilt or deprivation but learning to get the most from the things you most enjoy. Following her own version of this traditional wisdom, she has ever since relished a life of indulgence without bulge, satisfying yen without yo-yo on three meals a day.

Now in simple but potent strategies and dozens of recipes you'd swear were fattening, Mireille reveals the ingredients for a lifetime of weight control–from the emergency weekend remedy of Magical Leek Soup to everyday tricks like fooling yourself into contentment and painless new physical exertions to save you from that miserable gym workout. Emphasizing the virtues of freshness, variety, balance, and always pleasure, Mireille shows how virtually anyone can learn to eat, drink, and move like a French woman.

This book doesn't let you flip to graphics and jump right in: you'll have to read it. Learning to eat right is like learning a language -- nothing works like immersion.
Let the tale begin.

http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/

"Deprivation is the mother of failure."

Mireille Guiliano

Dinner At The Drugstore

Anyone who has read this blog for any amount of time knows that I am extremely concerned with eating locally grown foods. That is foods that are grown and produced as close to my home as possible using the most sustainable methods possible. And as much as I love cooking it is still nice to spend an evening out with my husband, especially over a wonderful meal.
So you can imagine the leap my heart made when Tim & I heard of a new restaurant north of the river whose menu features almost entirely locally grown food. Obviously we had to check it out and what better excuse than my birthday.
So we headed for Smithville, Missouri on Saturday night to the Justus Drugstore. Yes you read correctly Justus Drugstore. The building that houses the restaurant has been in the Owner/Exec Chef's family since the 1840's and was at one point a drugstore ran by his mother. Jonathan Justus the owner is an artist turned chef and has ran kitchens from France to California before moving back to Missouri. He and his partner Camille opened the restaurant with a vision to create dishes with almost entirely locally produced food. From the coffee to the meat to the vegetables to the butter, every detail has been painstakingly thought through. The building is a model of "green architecture" and has features like a bamboo bar and stainless steel kitchen. But more important than all of that is the food. I can in no way do justice (no pun intended) to the meal we had but I will do my best to leave a few highlights.
First they offered an elixir Du jour to start the evening, a wonderfully mixed cocktail featuring local berries infused with vodka. Second was the bread made by Camille herself which was amazing, that served with a side of shatto farms butter and I was already happy. We had an amazing cheese spread that I think I may still be dreaming about paired with the most delicious crackers that we later found out were made by the dishwasher herself. Yet another reason to love this guy and his vision. I had a wonderful kobe beef flank stank with a potato and cauliflower gratin that melted in my mouth. My husband had a dish called pork two ways, which basically featured two cuts of pork each cooked very uniquely but joined with a common ginger sauce that was to die for. That was served with an heirloom corn polenta and I have to say my husband does not usually care for polenta, but after that he asked "why don't you start making this"??
Dessert was equally amazing, I had a trio of local truffles, Tim had a homemade donut served with a pistachio foam and a small scoop of homemade pistachio ice cream. They make all of their own ice cream there with flavors like basil, rosemary chocolate and lavender, I can hardly wait to try them all.
So the next time you want a truly amazing dinner please consider heading up north. It was by far the best dinner we have ever eaten in Kansas City. We spent 4 hours there as they pride themselves on people taking their time over dinner, and I have to think, isn't that the way it should be?? http://www.drugstorerestaurant.com/

"Cooking is not about convenience and it's not about shortcuts...... Our hunger for the twenty-minute gourmet meal, for a one-pot ease and prewashed, precut ingredients has severed our lifeline to the satisfactions of cooking. Take your time. Take a long time. Move slowly and deliberately and with great attention.." - Thomas Keller, Chef Owner, French Laundry

Out With The Old, In With The New

Once or twice a year we need to give the body a rest from our regular eating. The foods we normally eat processed and refined foods, fried foods, caffeine, sugar, white flour products, red meat, and dairy put a lot of strain on our internal organs.
This spring my sister and I did our first cleanse together and it was amazing so, this year her and my husband and I are doing another one with the start of fall.

Cleansing is like giving your body an annual tune-up. The goal of the cleanse is to eliminate excesses from the body (toxins, impacted plaque in the intestines, and bacteria) and increase the bodys natural ability to renew itself through the rejuvenation of cellular growth. As the body releases toxins and begins to renew itself, people usually get the desire to cleanse what is "toxic" or excess from all parts of their life. This takes shape differently for different people. Some people are motivated to break addictive food patterns. Others have ended unfulfilling relationships or had sudden realizations about their lifes purpose. One of the most important benefits people gain from the cleanse is learning that it's possible to make positive changes. Physical changes range from improved digestion, regular bowel movements, and weight loss to clear skin, better sleep, and increased energy. But the physical changes are just the beginning. After just a week of cleansing, people report that they feel more confident and proud of themselves than they have in a long time; know how to take better care of themselves; have clear thoughts and better attention; feel calm and in control of their lives; and generally have a more positive outlook on life.
I am posting this as an early sort of FYI for those people that are interested in doing a cleanse together a sort of "cleanse kula" an intentional community. If you are interested in hearing more please email me, you will see my contact info on my blog. I can get you the necessary materials needed. This is not an expensive process and you will eat the foods you would most likely buy at the grocery store anyway. The cleanse would start toward the end of the month with the farewell to Summer and the welcoming of fall and I will be posting much as we get started.
I'd love to hear from you!

"Some people are afraid of what they might find if they try to analyze themselves too much, but you have to crawl into your wounds to discover where your fears are. Once the bleeding starts, the cleansing can begin"
Tori Amos

We are NOT all created equal!

Over the last several months I have been on a personal food journey of sorts, learning what my body needs to run properly, what food gives me joy and energy and also what I need to eat for my body in order to either maintain my weight or lose weight. Up until this point I like so many people, specifically women struggled with my weight, fear of eating, fear of gaining and just a general all around anxiety despite all the knowledge I had about food and nutrition.
I came across this article from Joshua Rosenthal, the president of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in NYC. It is exactly what I have been learning and what I have after so many years now completely embrace. I hope it is a help and encouragement to anyone else struggling.

We live in a world of modern nutrition. Today, almost everyone is on one diet or another. People dwell on proteins, carbs, calories, fats, restrictions and lists of good and bad foods. Each day we are hit with a new discovery, proclaiming the health benefits of a certain food or the best way to lose 10 pounds in a week. Diet books are best sellers. News programs feature stories about America's growing health crisis or the new wonder drug.It wasn't too long ago that humans existed without this media blitz, without expensive medications and without diet gurus telling them what to eat. People simply knew what to eat and how to prepare it. People naturally lived in harmony with the seasons and with their surroundings. They ate what was local and available and what gave them proper nutrients for their lives.Modern nutrition theories are all missing a huge part of what nutrition is really about: the individual. Most nutrition books tell you what to eat without any reference to age, constitution, gender, size or lifestyle.I take what I like to call a postmodern approach to nutrition by recognizing this bio-individuality. No perfect way of eating works for everybody. The food that works for your unique body, age and lifestyle may make another person gain weight and feel lethargic. Similarly, no perfect way of eating will work for you all the time. You may eat different foods on days when you are working outside than on a relaxing day spent reading. Foods you loved two years ago may not agree with you today. Bio-individuality is just one part of the postmodern approach of Integrative Nutrition. I invite you to pause for a moment and think about your own needs. Do you know the right fuel for your body? Remember, each of us is responsible for our own health and happiness. Start now!

"By listening to my body, I can discover what foods work best for me"

Dandelion: The Accidental Vegetable

The common name of the daisy is shorthand for what it was once known as the "day's eye." If you, like me, thought the common name of the dandelion was a similar compound - of "dandy" and "lion" - you'd be half right. We take our name for this ubiquitous plant from the French dents-de-lion, "tooth of the lion," the idea being that the bright yellow, bushy flower is the lion and the tooth is the serrated leaves. The name of the plant refers to its most easily accessible part, and most valuable: the leaf can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like other greens.
Anyway, any kid knows the magic of a dandelion is in spreading it. You pick it and with a puff of breath, the spherical seedhead explodes into the wind, and seeds magically disperse.
Though we don't grow dandelions, Taraxacum officinale, chances are you inadvertently grow dandelions in your front yard. And if you don't, your neighbor does (before you harvest or eat such dandelions, make sure the lawn has been maintained without pesticides or herbicides). But you don't have to leave your dandelion harvest to chance. Cultivating dandelions has long been practiced for food and medicine. All parts of the plant (except the seeds) can be used. The fresh, bitter (sometimes blanched) leaves can flavor a spring salad, the (twice) boiled root can become a serving of vegetables with dinner, and the "wine" made from the yellow flower and the roasted root can become a coffee substitute.
Dandelion seeds should be sown directly in a sunny position in the garden where the soil is rich and well drained. Because dandelions are prolific seeders they should be placed in a carefully chosen position where they can be maintained and controlled. It is likely that they will readily naturalize. The term naturalize simply refers to plants that will sow their own seeds and return year after year. Plants that naturalize easily should be selected with the understanding that future generations will carefully choose for themselves their own positions in which to grow, ignoring arbitrary borders such as property lines and garden beds.
The dandelion's host of uses, both medicinally and in the kitchen, has been superseded by its modern categorization as a weed. That's unfortunate, as herbalists have long prescribed its tonics for relief of various liver conditions. Nutritionally, it provides more nutrients than many greens we commonly eat. It has exceptionally high quantities of vitamin A (more than carrots) and good amounts of vitamin C, B6 and thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid as well as the minerals calcium, iron, copper and manganese.
Commercially cultivated dandelion is grown in the dark to prevent the bitter taste of its wild relatives. Cultivars commonly available through seed catalogues that can be grown in the garden should also be less bitter than wild varieties. Early spring is the best time to collect the young leaves, wild or not, and the roots can be dug in autumn.
So I urge you to imagine a lawn filled with dandelions as a nutritious, tasty garden that you didn't have to plant. Eat some, and leave the rest to spread their seeds to the winds.

adapted by article by David Weil

I dwell in possibility. –Emily Dickenson