Thanks for the great post.
If eating local food "Ain't all that" then its probably the wrong season. I think you are right--thanks to fast food/chains people have become accustomed to consistently bland and mediocre meals. These places serve the exact same thing all year round and it tastes the same all the time. While I was in school I had many friends who had eaten only this type of chain food, when I exposed them to "real" food, they always liked it better.
I think its important that whatever food you eat, it has to taste good. Our food shouldn't be consistently bland and mediocre--but it should be consistently good. Each tomato having a unique character is cool, but they all better taste good. If they don't then either the seasons over, it was prepared the wrong way, or there is something else wrong. I'm not going to eat it just because its "local"--if it isn't first good. Sometimes this may happen, but I think that if you eat local and in season from the right purveyors and/or preparers its almost always going to be better.
[...] own cured meats and handmade sauerkraut) that included a choice of local, sustainable lamb, chicken, or vegetables, the world’s creamiest polenta from Riverbend Farm, an amazing cabbage salad (with the best [...]
You're most welcome. I look forward to hearing how your dinner at The Craftsbury went. Wish I could have been there to celebrate with you and your friends and supporters.
Thanks for note, Rob, I like the plan - count me in! Exposing people to the flavors and appearances of real, whole foods is a necessary step, and starting with the fast growing base makes a lot of sense.
It's been fun for me to discover (and rediscover) some of the joys of eating and cooking. And I don't think my desire to connect with the earth and what I consume makes me all that unusual these days. At least I hope not!
As always, great to hear from you. Thanks.
-Lee
We can all thank McDonald's for creating at least a couple generations that don't appreciate variance in the taste of their food. Check out Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser to get the inside skinny on how they did it and the impact it has had on our nation.
What we can do about it is change the rules. Let's start by capturing the hearts and minds of a fast growing minority of citizens in the next couple years who support an alternative food system built around their needs. This "system" will pay particular attention on helping people learn the joys of cooking and eating home-cooked meals.
Next, we will mobilize this base to create the buzz necessary to broaden the market. And while I am not in to fads, leveraging one to cast a wider net sounds good to me.
Sooner or later, taste will find its way back to the forefront of our food experiences!
[...] and Tasty picks up one of my posts from last week and really does a good job of running with it, here.This bit caught my attention: I agree completely, and the way that we’ve been trained to think [...]
[...] not too worried, frankly. I’ve eaten at The Craftsman several times, and each experience has been terrific. The food’s consistently great, and the [...]
Thanks for the great
[...] own cured meats and
Thanks Rob. The Craftsman was
You're most welcome. I look
[...] Farmers Markets [...]
[...] Farmers Markets [...]
Thanks for note, Rob, I like
We can all thank McDonald's
[...] and Tasty picks up one
[...] not too worried,