tracy morgan

More than anything, I think we can credit columnist and cookbook author Mark Bittman with helping make the local, sustainable, sane, reasonable food movement more popular. Sure, Michael Pollan got there first, but he was arguably ahead of his time in terms of bringing the education, history and underlying issues of our food system to the table. Since then, many real food advocates have followed in his footsteps and have done a bang-up job getting the rest of us on board.

Mark Bittman, cookbook author and New York Times columnist, takes a balanced look at our food lives in Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating. Packed with recipes and sensible advice, Bittman brings us another step closer to taking all of the thoughtful knowledge about food choices, environmental impacts, the Standard American Diet – ground other authors have indeed covered – and breaks it down in a simple, easy-to-use manner. 

Midwestern farmers' markets are the stuff of midwinter’s – and really, even midspring’s – dreams.  When we sit down and contemplate the changing weather, the growth potential, and the veritable expansion of our own resources, we tend to imagine gardens. Farms. Food production in a variety of levels – gardener or not. We just can’t help ourselves.

Joan Dye GussowAs spring rolls full force towards summer, it's time for another food-laden book chat! Tonight's choice, This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader, will be discussed at two venues (at least*):

 The simple act of putting a shovel into the ground and tucking in the first seeds (or seedlings) without doubt means you’ve already decided to do things differently. Feeding yourself – with the efforts of your own two hands and contributions of a mostly organic nature – is an exercise in science, nature, tradition, history, politics and not just a little bit of faith. Not such a simple act, after all. 

Tonight at least two Simple, Good and Tasty bookclub events will take place, featuring Much Depends on Dinner: The Extraordinary History and Mythology, Allure and Obsessions, Perils and Taboos of an Ordinary Meal, by Margaret Visser. This book has been a hot-ticket item in the Twin  Cities and we're looking forward to reading and discussing it you. Please join us at one of these locations:

Aah, the sun. Doesn’t its warm presence just get you thinking? I’m already daydreaming of the summer evenings that I’ll be lounging on my deck, sipping a cool something-or-other to wrap up the day. In those dreams, I rotate through a variety of friends and loved ones, different kinds of nibbles to serve, and a mental selection of the tasty beverages we’ll imbibe. Last year, I nearly overdosed on the crisp Sauvignon Blanc that I’d taken to like water. The year before, it was Pinot Grigio for the summer drink of choice. This year, I’m looking for something new.

Our shiny new bookclub continues this month with Much Depends on Dinner: The Extraordinary History and Mythology, Allure and Obsessions, Perils and Taboos of an Ordinary Meal, by Margaret Visser. This is a fantastic book about the facts, myths and rituals surrounding the typical American dinner; it's equally social, scientific, and political.

thedailygreen.com

When I was young, there was a great deal of pomp and circumstance around Easter. Not coming from an overly religious family, this fussing typically had more to do with food than ritual, though the reflective and celebratory nature of the day carried through. In those years, it was about Easter dresses, patent leather shoes, and Grandma’s good china. And as often as possible, our whole family gathered together -- grandparents, their daughters, and us, the daughters of the next generation -- for a good meal.

photo credit: Zazzle.com"May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far.”

Leave it to an Irish blessing to anticipate overindulgence! Though my Morgan roots came originally from Scotland, my maternal grandmother and great-grandmother – O’Keefe and Brennan respectively – handed down some definite ideas about how an Irish lass such as myself might honor St. Patrick.