I feel as though a reflection is necessary. My ‘Anthropology of Food’ class opened up my eyes to an entire world of food and the issues that come with it. Food is not just about what you put into your mouth when you’re hungry, instead, it is what fuels the nation. I never understood the issues of food until my one-month course. I was clueless when it came to the monopolies that are destroying families, cattle farms, guerrilla gardens, local markets, dumpster diving and so much more that comes with something I take for granted everyday.
The course opened up with Ruth Ozeki’s “All Over Creation” which reminded me of the 1960’s and 70’s when hippies rebelled against the man and tried to end the corruption of a nation. I realize now what I can do to fight the system and I intend on choosing organic food whenever possible, finding alternative fuels for a more eco friendly car, and embracing all types of people to help fight a flawed food system. The characters in the book were so believable, and it’s easy to see them in everyday life. The organic eaters that fight against the corporate life style of a constant moving world, the older generation that remain unaware of what is going on, the children growing up in an food educated home, the farmers just trying to make a living and those who know the issues and refuse to change. The book really showed how it’s hard for an entire group of people to change a system if they don’t feel it is an immediate life threatening issue.
“The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan was a more difficult read because it just put the gruesome facts out there. As a non red-meat eater, I will admit that it was difficult reading about the cattle farms. However, how the animals that billons of people choose to eat are treated is not as surprising as the corn factor. I find that I am incredibly conscious of which corn products are in the foods I’m eating. I was never even aware before reading this book and taking the course that corn is the food of the world and is feeding everyone and everything. After reading the book and then watching “Future of Food” I felt as though I never wanted to eat corn or corn products again. It’s hard to support such a corrupt system and companies like Monsanto anger me. To eat products from a corporation that takes peoples life savings goes against what I believe in when it comes to the humanity that people need to show each other.
Books like “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” “All Over Creation,” and movies like “Future of Food” really increased my awareness of the issues that consumers are facing. Unlabeled food products, the lack of organic, non-patented food sources, and the monopoly of power companies. All of the things I studied in my ‘Anthropology of Food’ course opened my eyes to a world of a corrupt system, paid for by a lot of government funding. I have become a more conscious consumer and a pickier eater. I refuse to ruin myself and my beliefs by eating hormone injected and genetically modified foods because I’m too lazy to find ulterior options. I strongly encourage others to take a more proactive step in finding out what they’re putting inside their bodies.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Dumpster Diving to End World Hunger
‘Dumpster Diving’ is a very interesting idea that tends to gross many people out, including myself. I personally cannot imagine jumping into a dumpster to fish out peoples “treasures.” However, as the old saying goes, “another man’s trash, is another mans treasure,” I have come to learn that there is some truth in this.
What do you get when a group of people organize nation wide dumpster dives to help the needy and hungry? What do you get when companies over-exaggerate expiration dates and end up throwing away billons of dollars worth of perfectly good food? You end up with a disgustingly large number of perfectly good food thrown away and people taking a proactive stance to change that.
‘Food Not Bombs’ is an organization that does nation wide dumpster dives to “rescue” food from an unnaturally early demise. The food is found in containers, and often times the activists can get the food before it even hits the dumpsters. However, many grocery stores and companies are not okay with this because they aren’t making any money off of it. And in today’s day and age, who really is willing to give anything away for free without any strings attached to those who are in need? Trust me, there aren’t many. So why try and inhibit the few that do try from making a positive difference in the world?
My ‘Anthropology of Food’ class had the privilege of drinking juice saved from the dumpster, and trust me, it tasted just fine. It’s hard to imagine that billons of pounds of foods are simply tossed away while there are entire nations starving. It angers me that companies can be so selfish and not think about how they could be aiding the public instead of destroying resources. I personally hope to get involved with ‘Food Not Bombs’ and strongly encourage all those who do not wish to see people starve to take a look and perhaps a stance against the starvation of humanity.
What do you get when a group of people organize nation wide dumpster dives to help the needy and hungry? What do you get when companies over-exaggerate expiration dates and end up throwing away billons of dollars worth of perfectly good food? You end up with a disgustingly large number of perfectly good food thrown away and people taking a proactive stance to change that.
‘Food Not Bombs’ is an organization that does nation wide dumpster dives to “rescue” food from an unnaturally early demise. The food is found in containers, and often times the activists can get the food before it even hits the dumpsters. However, many grocery stores and companies are not okay with this because they aren’t making any money off of it. And in today’s day and age, who really is willing to give anything away for free without any strings attached to those who are in need? Trust me, there aren’t many. So why try and inhibit the few that do try from making a positive difference in the world?
My ‘Anthropology of Food’ class had the privilege of drinking juice saved from the dumpster, and trust me, it tasted just fine. It’s hard to imagine that billons of pounds of foods are simply tossed away while there are entire nations starving. It angers me that companies can be so selfish and not think about how they could be aiding the public instead of destroying resources. I personally hope to get involved with ‘Food Not Bombs’ and strongly encourage all those who do not wish to see people starve to take a look and perhaps a stance against the starvation of humanity.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Destruction of American Farms
There are few things in life that shock me, especially when it comes to my food. However, throughout my ‘Anthropology of Food’ course I’ve come to find that I need to hope for the best, but often times, expect for the worst. The film “The Future of Food” dives into the culture of farming in the United States and the monopoly that patenting has created. The video left me enraged and saddened.
The movie showed the stories of many abused farmers who had their lives turned upside down by the company Monsanto. This company tears families apart by their patenting overdrive. To think that a company can patent types of farm crops is a scary thought. There are so many crops that are not being made available to consumers because the company gets to decide what we eat by monopolizing the entire farming culture.
It was hard to watch families torn apart by a company that serves us genetically modified foods without proper labeling that could do serious harm to our healthy and environment. It’s disgusting to also learn that our own countries attorney general is accepting money from companies like Monsanto, allowing them to destroy hard working families and ultimately destroy the health of America!
I find myself incredibly upset at the fact I feel our country has dug ourselves into a huge hole surrounded by genetically engineered crops, failing farms and bankrupt families. When are the effects going to become bad enough that people are going to make a stand? One person cannot do it all, and I challenge every American concerned with their health, the health of their nation and the environment to strongly rethink who they buy their food products from.
The movie showed the stories of many abused farmers who had their lives turned upside down by the company Monsanto. This company tears families apart by their patenting overdrive. To think that a company can patent types of farm crops is a scary thought. There are so many crops that are not being made available to consumers because the company gets to decide what we eat by monopolizing the entire farming culture.
It was hard to watch families torn apart by a company that serves us genetically modified foods without proper labeling that could do serious harm to our healthy and environment. It’s disgusting to also learn that our own countries attorney general is accepting money from companies like Monsanto, allowing them to destroy hard working families and ultimately destroy the health of America!
I find myself incredibly upset at the fact I feel our country has dug ourselves into a huge hole surrounded by genetically engineered crops, failing farms and bankrupt families. When are the effects going to become bad enough that people are going to make a stand? One person cannot do it all, and I challenge every American concerned with their health, the health of their nation and the environment to strongly rethink who they buy their food products from.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Pro-Pizza
Imagine if you never left a carbon imprint? If everything you did was organic, freshly grown food from your own garden, cooking from a clay oven in your backyard and began a mission to simply your life. It sounds impossible, and it probably is, but what if it were possible? What if everyone took a moment to step outside themselves and realize that there is more in the world than fancy cars and big supermarkets.
Ruth Ozeki took the time to explore the possibilities in her book “All Over Creation.” Although the book showed the views of many people, the “Seeds of Resistance” really caught my attention. I found myself swept up in their drive and passion for the earth. What if everyone found that same passion? What if everyone drove cars fueled by the excess fast food oils instead of petroleum? That is asking a lot of people, but the results could be huge!
The University of Washington’s farm just celebrated the first burning of their oven. Keith Possee of the biology department worked hard over the summer to create a wood-burning oven that my class had the privilege of baking in. I baked an amazing and healthy organic pizza with a homemade pesto (with organic ingredients from the UW farm) and cheeses. Looking into the oven and watching my very own organic pizza bake was really entertaining. It made me realize how truly amazing it is to create something organic that does not affect the earth in a negative way.
While watching other students, faculty and friends line up to have their pizza’s baked, I couldn’t help but feel a very ‘Seeds of Resistance’ vibe. Nothing we were doing affected the earth in a negative way, and I couldn’t help but feel that the characters in the novel (if they were non-fictional) would be incredibly proud of the proactive actions of the bakers and farmers at the UW farm.
Hopefully one day I’ll be able to follow in the footprints of those who have left a very small carbon imprint.
A Taste of Home
There is nothing more comforting than a taste of home. During class on Thursday, my ‘Anthropology of Food’ class made a vegan lentil soup. My mom and I used to make lentil soup together all the time, especially in the wintertime. Any piece of home feels good, doesn’t it?
I have never made vegan lentil soup, and it was exciting learning how to make it. It had so many flavors, which would surely satisfy any carnivore or non-vegan. I was hesitant when I saw that the recipe called for 6 cups of water instead of a vegetable broth. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted the soup and it tasted just as good as a soup with vegetable broth used.
After eating three weeks worth of college dorm food, it felt great to be in the kitchen cooking something familiar and something incredibly healthy. It was the first meal that didn’t make me feel weighed down because of heavy oils. I enjoyed the experience of making a vegan dish and eating it.
The recipe is simple and I encourage anyone who has some time to make this soup. It is healthy, easy and tastes great even after being frozen or in the fridge.
Ingredients
1 cup brown lentils
6 cups water
2 celery stalks, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 onion, diced
¼ c olive oil
½ c tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
2 potatoes, diced
2 T red wine vinegar
½ c red wine
salt and pepper
Make the soffritto with the celery, onion and carrot in the olive oil. The red wine vinegar may be added as well, along with the garlic. Sauté the ingredients in the olive oil low heat until soft for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make the soup with adding the 6 cups of water to the soffritto, bring it to a boil, and then add all of the other ingredients. Reduce the heat and cover it partially for 30 minutes, and then you’ll have a lovely soup to eat.
(recipe from Ann Anagnost)
I have never made vegan lentil soup, and it was exciting learning how to make it. It had so many flavors, which would surely satisfy any carnivore or non-vegan. I was hesitant when I saw that the recipe called for 6 cups of water instead of a vegetable broth. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted the soup and it tasted just as good as a soup with vegetable broth used.
After eating three weeks worth of college dorm food, it felt great to be in the kitchen cooking something familiar and something incredibly healthy. It was the first meal that didn’t make me feel weighed down because of heavy oils. I enjoyed the experience of making a vegan dish and eating it.
The recipe is simple and I encourage anyone who has some time to make this soup. It is healthy, easy and tastes great even after being frozen or in the fridge.
Ingredients
1 cup brown lentils
6 cups water
2 celery stalks, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 onion, diced
¼ c olive oil
½ c tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
2 potatoes, diced
2 T red wine vinegar
½ c red wine
salt and pepper
Make the soffritto with the celery, onion and carrot in the olive oil. The red wine vinegar may be added as well, along with the garlic. Sauté the ingredients in the olive oil low heat until soft for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make the soup with adding the 6 cups of water to the soffritto, bring it to a boil, and then add all of the other ingredients. Reduce the heat and cover it partially for 30 minutes, and then you’ll have a lovely soup to eat.
(recipe from Ann Anagnost)
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
America's Supersized Problem
“Super-size me” is a simple request that can lead to less than simple consequences. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, infertility, mood swings, poor health and more. After watching the video ‘Super Size Me’ in my ‘Anthropology of Food' class I could not help but feel enraged and thankful at the same time. Thankful that I haven’t eaten fast food in years, and infuriated because I know that there are still people who choose to eat fast food on a daily basis. To watch a video like that with all the facts laid out in black and white and still continue to eat processed “meat” (if you can really even call it that) is a form of ignorance and idiocy that one can only blame themselves for.
(Image from Google Images)
Watching the deterioration of Morgan Spurlock made me feel ill to my stomach. He started out with outstanding health and ended up with a failing liver that looked as though he were a dying alcoholic, massive weight gain and more. I cannot imagine what millions of Americans must be suffering from just because of their food choices. America is now the most obese country and is on its way to becoming the least intelligent as well. The school systems are lacking, not only by educational standards but by food standards as well.
It is not always practical to eat a home-cooked meal every single day, three times a day in this fast paced world. There are places to go and people to see, but is it really THAT difficult to make healthier choices when you do need to pick up a meal on the go? Is it really that impossible to make lunch healthy for the children so they can learn to live a healthy life with good food choices? The truth is that it’s not. There are organizations like ‘Natural Oven’ that offer healthy food options at the same price as the unhealthy pizza and snack loving companies that most schools pay for. People know that these options exist, so why aren’t they going for them? Does America want to get fat?
It is not impossible to eat a healthy meal on the go. Nothing is impossible, especially when it comes to food. American groceries are stocked full with endless amounts of possibilities, and there are healthier restaurant alternatives, not to mention a persons self-control and portion control. As a freshman living in a college dorm I see the choices that people make. Going for a doughnut for breakfast instead of a bowl of cereal. Choosing the large food they are serving without a side of veggies over a salad. I hear the excuses as to why they could not make it to the gym or why they’re choosing the elevator instead of going up that one flight of stairs. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve taken the elevator and I’ve had the chocolates, but I also choose the gym over television and a salad over fries. It all comes down to personal choices.
There is no one source to blame. A lack of self-control is a huge contributor and a persons lack of motivation is part of the problem as well. However when 10,000 commercials are aired a day telling you that you REALLY want that big mac with fries, it’s hard to ignore it. The restaurants understand advertising and they have it down to a tee. The food they serve is horrendous and the companies along with the consumers know that toxins are going into the food and the horrific effects they have on ones body. However, with neither party willing to change, what hope is there for a healthier America?
Friday, August 31, 2007
Presto, Pesto!
The ability to make fresh pesto from organic homegrown basil is incredible. Not many people resort for their own gardens for ingredients to make pesto. Instead, the super market pre-made pesto is the closest most people get to homemade pesto. However, many opt for the already made pesto from restaurants. All variations of pesto are going to taste great, but the store bought pesto lacks so much…the smell, the hard work and the satisfaction, along with the knowledge of knowing what has gone inside the pesto.
With my ‘Anthropology of Food’ course I had the pleasure of helping make pesto with freshly picked basil from the University of Washington farm. Myself, along with 5 others were able to make the pesto from a simple recipe, and it was by far, the best tasting pesto I have ever had. Making pesto from scratch was something I never had the opportunity to make before, and now, I would love to make it from scratch all the time. It was truly simple.
Take a bag full of freshly picked basil; add 3-4 garlic cloves, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, pine nuts and salt. With a little spin in the blender, presto you’ve got pesto! It’s so simple and I encourage everyone to try it once. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get it done and be able to relish in your satisfaction of your home made organic pesto.
With my ‘Anthropology of Food’ course I had the pleasure of helping make pesto with freshly picked basil from the University of Washington farm. Myself, along with 5 others were able to make the pesto from a simple recipe, and it was by far, the best tasting pesto I have ever had. Making pesto from scratch was something I never had the opportunity to make before, and now, I would love to make it from scratch all the time. It was truly simple.
Take a bag full of freshly picked basil; add 3-4 garlic cloves, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, pine nuts and salt. With a little spin in the blender, presto you’ve got pesto! It’s so simple and I encourage everyone to try it once. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get it done and be able to relish in your satisfaction of your home made organic pesto.
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