Welcome to the blog for Colgate University's interdisciplinary course on food. This is the place to keep up with what students in the course are experiencing in their work at Common Thread Community Farm and through their everyday encounters with food.

Friday, September 28, 2012

The Importance of Local Knowledge

The importance of local knowledge is a theme that has come up in a lot of my Geography classes at Colgate. The concept has always interested me so I took note of a recent article I found online. The article described a cattle epidemic called Rinderpest, a very contagious, 100% fatal, intestinal disease that also leads to bleeding of the eyes, chills, and eventual death from dehydration. Historical records suggest Rinderpest has been around since 3000 BC and plagued Europe until the late 1700s. In 1889 was introduced to Ethiopia by Italian colonists. Quickly it spread to Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia. Rinderpest, called "green death" by locals, killed 90% of cows in this region and lead to the starvation of 1/3 of Ethiopians and 2/3 of the Maasai people (totaling over a million deaths).

In Europe, Walter Plowright developed a vaccine that suppressed Rinderpest throughout Europe and Asia but it required refrigeration and therefore was impractical in Saharan Africa. Vets and European aids were forced to rally herdsman into villages with refrigeration sources, often unsuccessfully. Jeffrey Manner then developed a version of the vaccine that could withstand temperatures up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 3 months. Still, it was difficult to communicate with local herders and reach 100% immunization.

The page turned when Darlingron Akabwai, a Ugandan field vet, entered the scene. He made it a point to communicate with seers, tribal prophets, about when and where they could meet to administer vaccines. He also used local terminology and warrior images to convey the importance of the vaccines. Must effectively, he explained the vaccination process to elders and then had them select younger men to attend formal training and become "community animal health workers". Quickly, immunization rates when from 72 to 84 to almost 100%. These "community animal health workers" were better able to identify the disease and handle individual cows. They also were more effective at explaining the process and encouraging public participation. The movement did meet some resistance when outside professional vets realized they were being replaced. This was resolved when Akabwai created positions for them as formal supervisors.

The last recorded case of Rinderpest was in 2000 and on May 25, 2011 the disease was pronounced "gone". This example of incorporated local knowledge and skill was particularly interesting to me because it played upon the idea of knowing the animals and having a personal connection to individual animals, a concept we talked with Changing Works and in Farmer Boy.

Kids' Menus In Madison County


Childhood obesity is a serious problem that faces Americans. Today, more people eat out than ever before. When they eat out, they tend to eat more than when they eat at home and the portions served tend to be bigger. Eating out contributes to the increasing obesity epidemic in America.

This summer I took a closer look at the kids’ menus of full-service, independent restaurants in Madison County. The aim was to 1) see what is on the menus 2) assess why the restaurants chose to put those items on the menus, and 3) suggest possible directions for restaurants to improve their current offerings for children.

Interestingly, the idea to have a kids’ menu separate from the adult’s menu implies that kids should be eating food that is different from what adults eat. It presents the idea that there is special food for adults and separate food for kids. The USDA recommends the same balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains for everyone over the age of 2.

Results showed what I expected: lots of chicken tenders, burgers, pasta, French fries, and soft drinks. 100% of the restaurants had chicken tenders on kids’ menu, and only one restaurant did not have French fries, even though the restaurant cuisines ranged from Mexican to diner food to country club to Italian. Only two restaurants offered some sort of vegetable with one restaurant offering a seasonable vegetable or a side salad and another offering celery and carrot sticks.

The interviews I conducated with restaurants owners showed that kids’ menus are meant to be kid-friendly. Kid-friendly to these owners mean chicken tenders, hamburgers, pasta, and French fries. However, restaurant owners said they will accommodate the desires of customers. Most owners allowed for substitutions of a vegetable or side salad if a child or parent requested it. Many of the owners said there was no extra charge for substitutions even though this was not listed explicitly on the menu. Many owners said that too few kids eat vegetables and fruit for a change on their menu at this point, but if parents and kids start ordering healthier choices, restaurants will be sure to respond and meet the need. I personally did not know that restaurant owners would be willing to make me something completely off-menu.
           
Research shows that people generally stick with default options. Yet, the default options for side dishes and drinks with restaurant children’s meals are often high in calories like French fries and soft drinks. If something is not explicitly listed on a menu or listed as a default, customers are less likely to order the item. At Disney theme parks, fruits and vegetables are the default side dishes and low-fat milk and juice are the default beverages with children's meals. The healthier options have been well-received, with two-thirds of parents sticking with the healthier meal options for their children.

As one restaurant owner stated, “It’s a work in progress to make kids make healthier choices.” If more parents start asking for and ordering more vegetables, fruit, or low-fat milk for their kids, restaurants are likely to make the default items healthier. This will in turn make everyone more likely to stick with the healthy default options, making the overall food environment a healthier one!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Rabbit Butchering Family Fair

As a proud father of a rabbit, when I came across an article titled "Rabbit-butchering event called off because of complaints," I was more than a little shocked.  An urban farm in a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA, called Knotweed Urban Farm, had organized the event.  After checking out the farms Facebook page, I found out that they are a CSA, very much like Common Thread.  They invited a local butcher that raises rabbits and hens in an urban setting-- supposedly an trend that is increasing in popularity because of the small amount of space required to raise those animals.  The plan was to create a "butchering fair" for families to come to the farm to see butchering demonstrations so that families had a better idea of where their food came from.  The fair was planned to be complete with bouncy structures for kids, popcorn stands, and other attractions.  The event was announced to be cancelled however, because of the large amount of protest it has received.  The farm's Facebook wall was covered with angry and threatening messages, and there were reports of numerous voicemails denouncing the event.  

I like to think of rabbits as joyful and fluffy little creatures, but would not hesitate to order rabbit on a menu- it is true that there is a complete disconnect between animals and food in a lot of people's minds.  If you can't stomach seeing an animal die so that you can eat it, do you have the right to eat it, morally?  I can definitely see the point of the butchering demonstration.  People should think about the entire life cycle of food and be better connected with their food; whether that be picking their own vegetables at a CSA, or seeing an animal before it is eaten.  That being said (and let me note that I am the furthest thing from a vegetarian...), I do have a problem with making an "event" surrounding the death of the animal.  It is not something that should be celebrated.  Even if it is on a small farm, by a butcher/farmer that raises and kills his animals in  more a comfortable and humane way than huge, industrialized farms.  My other issue with the event is that it was advertised as a "family" event.  Again, I understand the intention of trying to make sure kids know where their food comes from, but I doubt that young kids will be able to grasp the concepts that the demonstration are trying to convey.

In summary, I can't argue that a greater connection with your food is beneficial in many ways, but I am not sure that a fair surrounding the slaying of a cute animal is the best way to get that message across.  I am satisfied looking at my bunny as a cute fuzzball, and not as a potential main ingredient in my stew.


recent links

Check out these recent "food in the news" stories:

NYT story on recent college grads becoming farmers

CNYFresh: The Flavors of Central NY - this is a new website that provides directories of Central New York farmers and food producers, including for Madison County.

A recent study from Stanford University finding that organic food holds no nutritional advantage over non-organic food.

A NYT story providing background on the Stanford study

An article in Mother Jones that critiques the Stanford study

Questions about the affiliations of researchers responsible for the Stanford study

Meet your Meat

I saw this video in my Environmental Ethics class and it shocked me so much that I thought you all should see it. I am not a vegetarian. I love a good steak and who can say no to bacon? We have evolved as omnivores and so our love of meat is intrinsic to us as human beings. As our society has evolved we have seen a rise in the consumption of meat (most of us eat meat at almost every meal,) and a decrease in its price. This is because we have shifted from a craft style farming method to an industrialized means of producing animals at much faster rate in morally questionable ways. Meat producers have had to make changes to meet the demand of a meat loving society and this has resulted in the has production of animals in unnatural, unhealthy and morally reprehensible ways.
Th following video was created by the P.E.T.A, (it is important to note that their goal is to shock and effect change thus only the worst cases are shown, though they still indicate readily accepted practices,) and shows how our meat industry actually functions in order to meet the demand of a country in which meat plays a significant role in our culture.  
Warning: this video is very graphic.

Meet your Meat Video Link


Don't Eat That!


In Harper's book Changing Works, he highlights the effects that the shift from changing works to mass production has had on society. Today, unlike Harper, we tend to not think of the consequences of mass production because almost all of the food that we consume is produced in massive quantities. One of the issues with mass production of today is that there is a high risk of food being unsafe. However, as natural consumers of food, we never really think that a piece of lettuce could be unsafe before we eat it.  In a recent Huffington Post article, Biggest Food Safety Disasters 2012: Peanut Butter, Sushi, Cantaloupe And More, Rachel Tepper highlights some of the biggest food recalls of the year.  According to Tepper, one of the biggest recalls of the year, that I had absolutely no idea about, was cantaloupes. Apparently, 150 people were sickened by the cantaloupes in 20 states and 2 died! Another big recall that I had absolutely no idea about was tuna. The tainted tuna of 2012 caused 116 people to be sick. While the cantaloupe recall surprised me, the tuna recall scared me. On any given night, when I don't feel like cooking or am too lazy to go get something to eat, I crack open a can of tuna and dig in.  Now, however, I will think twice before doing that.  Like Tepper's article stated,  we should always stay informed about out our food.  


Check out the link below for other food recalls that will shock you!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/food-safety disasters-2012_n_1914510.htmlutm_hp_ref=food#slide=1555514  

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

This is Not Sustainable

This is NOT Sustainable blog, forwarded from a friend.

These (beautifully developed) photographs are windows into our global blindness toward environmental injustices, and our lack of action on such issues. Some of these shots relate well to our class conversations. Take particular note of these pictures...
  • Brazilian deforestation for sugarcane production
  • Amazon deforestation to fulfill meat industry demands
  • the thousands of "unfit" chicks
  • industrial tomatoes bred for size
  • the "illusion of choice" in a supermarket
  • turkeys reaching 32 pounds in 18 weeks 
  • the suicide of Indian farmers after using genetically modified crops.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Wheat is THE Enemy

     Since we have been discussing the shift from changing works to more modern practices of mass production farming techniques throughout the past week, I find it fitting to post about a pretty significant impact modern farming has had on our population.  This past summer I read the book Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD.  Dr. Davis' argument is that if people were to eliminate ALL wheat from their diet, we would witness permanent weight loss as well as relief from a wide range of health and digestive problems (such as celiac disease, diabetes, LDL counts, and overall cholesterol).  His findings are quite profound and as soon as I began reading his book, I couldn't stop until I had finished.
     The first wild wheat plant known to man was einkorn wheat which contains the simplest genetic code of any wheat plant at 14-chromosomes.  Einkorn wheat eventually crossed with a wild grass (goatgrass) in the wild and was first discovered in the Middle East.  When einkorn combined with goatgrass it created a wheat plant known as emmer wheat that contained 28-chromosomes due to polyploidy (accumulation of chromosomes).  To get ahold of einkorn or emmer wheat today you have to find regions in the Middle East, southern France, and northern Italy where is grown sparingly.  Modern wheat species are hundreds and possibly thousands of genes apart from the original strands of einkorn and emmer wheat.  Modern hybridized wheat contains 42-chromosomes.
     Today, wheat is exceeded only by corn in acreage of farmland planted and has led to the financial success of some of the largest food manufacturers in the world.  The reason that wheat is seen by Dr. Davis as being so dangerous to humans is the fact that it has been hybridized, crossbred, and introgressed (combining genetic material derived from a similar species) over the past 50 years by scientists.  These genetic modifications to the wheat plant have allowed an increased yield per acre (which is more than tenfold higher than farms a century ago).  The stereotypical image people have of wheat fields being chest high is not accurate anymore.  Modern wheat (dwarf and semi-dwarf wheat) stands only 18-inches tall and comprises of more than 99% of all wheat grown today according to Allan Fritz, PhD (professor of wheat breeding at Kansas State University).  Needless to say, the wheat people consume today is entirely different than the wheat most of our grandparents consumed throughout most of their lives.
     As tests were being conducted to create wheat plants that maximized potential yield for farmers, it was assumed that because these genetically modified plants were essentially still "wheat" it wasn't questioned whether it was fit for human consumption.  It seems that modern people are in fact the guinea pigs for this experiment.  One can only imagine the numerous amount of change that has happened to the wheat plant and how dramatically intricate structures such as gluten content, protein structure, and enzymes have been modified.  Not to mention the health risks that come with consuming a plant that can't survive in the wild without the use of toxic fertilizer and pesticides as Dr. Davis points out.
     Today, single genes can be inserted or removed to create wheat strains bred for pesticide resistance, disease resistance, and even cold or drought tolerance.  You can imagine how profitable this is for agribusiness and chemical producers like infamous Monsanto and I'm sure farmers aren't complaining about their increased yields either.
     I could write about Dr. Davis' book for hours because his findings are truly remarkable.  A couple more interesting facts I will share from the book are:
1) The composition of modern wheat allows it to cross into membranes in the brain and bind to receptors that drugs such as heroin bind to (which makes it addicting)
2)  2 slices of whole wheat bread can increase blood sugar more than 2 tablespoons of pure sugar can

     To add to the real impact Dr. Davis' findings can potentially have, I got on my own father about his eating habits to the point where he stopped eating  all food containing modern wheat.  It was challenging for him at first because his body was clearly addicted to wheat.  When I was home over the summer I made sure he stuck to it and I ended up seeing him last weekend when he came down from Syracuse to visit last Saturday.  My father has had a history of high blood pressure and cholesterol.  It has been about a month and a half since my father started this lifestyle change and when he went to the doctor' office for a visit a couple weeks ago, the doctor was amazed at his numbers and he is now off of his blood pressure medication he used to get sent to him in bulk through the mail for years.  He has also lost a little over 10 pounds and he wasn't too overweight to begin with.  Dr. Davis has plenty of examples like this throughout his book and I never thought I would see the results he wrote about firsthand.

The link below is a link to the Wheat Belly blog and website.  This particular link offers a modern wheat farmers insight on the growing process.

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/01/a-wheat-farmer-weighs-in-on-wheat-belly/

McDonald's advertising

I came acoross this McDonald's commercial the other day and found it paradoxical. I thought it made sense to share it for the sake of our class.  I never knew McDonald's food came from farms like the one portrayed in this advertisement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHZU-BHH9QA

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Matt's Guiltless Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the recipe for the gluten-free low-sugar cookies that I am bringing into class today.

1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Almond Flour
1/2 cup Gluten-Free Flaxseed Meal
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening
2 Tbs Local Honey
1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients.
Mix the wet ingredients until a dough forms.
      (Can be done with a food processor or by hand).
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Scoop dough one level teaspoon at a time onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Press dough balls down gently.
Bake at 350 for approximately 8 minutes.
Let cool for 15 minutes.
     *Important - cookies will break if you attempt to handle them before allowing them to cool.

   

"Study: Obese Kids Have Less Sensitive Taste Buds"

Article Taken From: http://healthland.time.com/2012/09/20/study-obese-kids-have-less-sensitive-taste-buds/


Everyone’s taste buds are different. That’s why some people can swallow the spiciest peppers while others have no fondness for sweet desserts (gasp!). Now a recent study suggests that taste-bud sensitivity may have something to do with the risk of obesity in children.
German researchers report that obese kids have less sensitive taste buds than their normal weight peers, and may therefore eat more food to get the same flavor sensation.
The researchers looked at 193 healthy children aged 6 to 18. Roughly half the kids were normal weight and half were obese. For the study, researchers placed 22 taste strips on the children’s tongues, representing each of the five types of taste — sweet, sour, salty, umami (savory) and bitter — at four levels of intensity, as well as two blank strips. The participants were asked to identify each of the tastes, and also rank each taste strip’s level of intensity.
Each taste was assigned a score, with the maximum score for identifying all five types of taste at the four different intensity levels added up to 20. Obese kids had a significantly more difficult time distinguishing between tastes, resulting in an average score of 12.6, compared with an average of just over 14 for the normal weight kids.
Overall, kids had the easiest time identifying sweet and salty tastes; they found it harder to distinguish between salty and sour, and salty and umami. In general, girls and older children were the best at correctly identifying the various tastes. As most kids got older, their ability to differentiate between taste sensations improved, but not among obese children. And although all the kids correctly identified the different sweetness intensity levels, obese kids rated most of the higher-intensity taste strips as weaker than did the normal weight kids.
While the study suggests an association between taste sensitivity and weight, it doesn’t make clear whether kids who have less sensitive taste buds are more vulnerable to weight gain, or whether obesity somehow reduces taste-bud responsiveness. It could be a bit of both. The authors say we are all born with individual taste preferences that are influenced by genes, age, gender and exposures to a variety of tastes. In addition, hormonal fluctuations may play a role — both in taste sensitivity and obesity — ABC News reports:
For example, the hormone leptin is associated with hunger, fat storage and the ability to taste sweet things. Obese people may be less sensitive to its daily cycles. Also, if the level of insulin circulating in the blood stream remains consistently elevated for long periods of time, as it does in many obese people, it could weaken the cells’ receptors to the hormone, which in turn could mute taste sensitivity.
Previous studies have suggested that people with highly sensitive taste buds tend to eat less, presumably because they don’t need as much food to get the same taste sensations, while overeaters may have less receptive buds. If taste sensitivity really does play a role in childhood obesity, the authors say the findings may hint at obesity-prevention strategies that focus on mindful eating and taste preferences, rather than counting calories.
The study was published online in the journal, Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Popcorn Lung

I came across an article that stated a man was awarded nearly 8 million dollars in a lawsuit against a popcorn company.  The man from Denver sued because he had developed "popcorn lung".  Having never heard of this ailment, I turned to WebMD to find out that it is a chronic, obstructive lung disease that limits the lung's ability to release air.  This is supposedly caused by diacetyl, that yellow powder stuff in the microwavable popcorn, the chemical that gives it "butter flavor".  The man that was awarded the money in the case claimed that he had a bag of popcorn everyday, and would inhale the fumes because he loved the smell of it.  The prosecutor said that the popcorn should have been properly labelled to let consumers know that there was a risk.  It is also important to note that the man that developed the lung disease was a carpet cleaner for over thirty years and was constantly in contact with chemicals that are known to be dangerous.


After looking in to the issue further, turns out that there have been dozens of cases of workers in popcorn factories developing lung issues, and the same ingredient responsible, diacetyl, can also lead to Alzheimer's.  Taken from http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20120808/popcorn-butter-flavorant-linked-to-alzheimers


"In laboratory experiments, Vince's team showed that at very low concentrations, diacetyl:
  • Causes misfolding of amyloid into toxic beta amyloid.
  • Easily crosses the blood-brain barrier that keeps many toxins from entering the brain.
  • Inhibits natural mechanisms that clear beta amyloid from the brain."

Sounds pretty scary for a treat that people have been enjoying for years and is thought to be a relatively healthy snack food.  However, when looking at the FDA website, they regard it as "generally safe for human consumption" and have gone on the record many times saying that it is nothing to worry about. 


This all forces me to think, at what point must something be classified as "dangerous" or require special labeling?  How many diseases must be linked to an ingredient, before it is not allowed to be sold?  Or is this simply a case of a bad legal settlement and the risks are overstated?  I tend to believe the latter, but with corn being such a powerful crop in the US, who knows how much lobbying power corn producers have over the FDA.  Even so, there have only been several cases in history of somebody developing "popcorn lung" after just consuming it and the link between the two has been all but clear.  If the courts say that popcorn should carry a warning label because of a few isolated cases, why doesn't all candy carry a warning label for diabetes?  Why doesn't fried food come with a warning that if you eat tons of it, you may develop heart disease?  Should organic vegetables have to be labelled because there is a small chance that if you eat them everyday, at some point you will get e.coli?  Where does it stop?

Wednesday at Common Thread Community Farm

Caroline, Caroline and I sorting red storing onions. Yum.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Umami


 During our discussion in class a few weeks ago about the 5 basic human tastes I was surprised to find out that many in our class had not heard of umami—the fifth, and perhaps most mystifying human taste. Having grown up in a household in which my mother forcibly made me try every food known to mankind and then taught me about each food, I have been hearing about umami for at least the last few years and never thought twice about the fact that umami is not a well-understood taste. Looking back on my elementary education, I now realize that I was never thoroughly (if at all) taught about umami in school.

For those who didn’t get a good grasp on what umami is, Miram Webster dictionary defines umami as “a taste sensation that is meaty or savory and is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides.” Some good examples of umami are mushrooms, seafood, tomatoes, seaweed, soy sauce, parmesan cheese, and of course MSG flavoring.

In addition to its mysterious reputation, and that most of us were not explicitly taught about it in school, what I find most interesting about umami is that restaurants and food companies have begun to capitalize on its “recent discovery” as the 5th taste. Umami’s relatively new discovery allows it to be promoted as “hip” and desirable.

While some of you may be wondering where I could possibly have gotten the idea that umami is “hip,” you’ve probably never had Umami Burger. Umami Burger, one of the most popular and trendiest burger chains in Los Angeles, is the first thing I think of when someone says umami. Umami Burger rhetorically makes use of umami’s savory and deeply satisfying sensation and promotes the idea that their burgers are unmatched my any other, because only they have truly mastered the sensation of umami. Here are a few quotations from their website: “The ART of creating that perfect mouthful,” “Where YUM is the new WOW!” “One BADASS BITE!” Clearly they take their creation of umami very seriously! While these quotations are rather dramatic, I have to admit, Umami Burger is in fact pretty darn delicious and does create burgers with explosive amounts of flavor. Afterall, GQ did name Umami Burger burger of the year in 2010.

While this is just one example of umami being used to market a product as new and distinctive, I know that there are many more similar products out there (“Taste No. 5 Umami Paste” is another good example). I’m curious to see if umami continues to be a trendy flavor, and if it will eventually become just as widely known as all of the other human tastes now are. After all, the fact that many people in our class didn’t know what it was means that umami has a long way to go before people readily include it in the list of basic human tastes.



Monday, September 17, 2012

Bite-sized national pride

Food is probably my favorite thing about traveling. I also enjoy museums, historical monuments and other fun tourist activities, but at the end of the day, what I’m really looking forward to is eating. So senior year of high school, when I decided to apply for a yearlong foreign exchange program, the world was my oyster. Would I be eating miso soup in Japan, croissants in France, or empanadas in Chile?

Well, for whatever reason, I only had one country in mind: Finland.

Something about Finland drew me in – the drama of the midnight sun, a consistently top-ranked public education system, and a language that seemed impossible. As for Finnish cuisine? I knew nothing. I guess that was part of the allure, too.

Over the year, my host family went out of their way to give me the authentic Finnish dining experience. This means that I ate a lot of dark rye bread (usually topped with cheese and cucumbers) and I drank a lot of coffee (Finland has the highest consumption of coffee per capita worldwide). My absolute favorite snack is "karjalanpiirakka," which is a thin rye crust filled with rice and covered in butter and hard boiled eggs. At Easter, my favorite dessert is mämmi, which is malted rye, traditionally stored in a birch box and served with cream.  Looks weird, tastes weird, but is somehow extremely addictive.  My food experiences also extended to the high school cafeteria, where all students are provided with a hot meal every day – free of charge – including salad bar, fresh milk and vegetarian options. The best days were when we had spinach and beet pancakes!

This kind of food may not be a "crowd-pleaser" and you’ll never see a Finnish restaurant opening up between Royal India Grill and La Iguana, but in the context of my host country, I came to love it. I'm sure it's due in large part to memories of eating this food amongst friends and family, but I also like it just for its novelty: a unique taste palate based on obscure root vegetables, wild Nordic berries, weird uses of rye, and lots of pickled herring.

There’s just one problem in my love story with Finland: salmiakki.

Salmiakki is black licorice salted with ammonium chloride. I think it's disgusting. But for whatever reason, this is THE national candy of Finland, and if you ever happen to find yourself in Helsinki or Oulu or Tampere, you will be forced to try some.

I was reminded of salmiakki during our class discussion on the meaning of food and how it is so strongly linked to cultural identity. Loving salmiakki is basically a prerequisite for being Finnish. And, as I learned, the national pastime is giving salmiakki to foreigners and waiting for their reactions. Every time I was given some (whether in candy, gum or schnapps form), it was like a test of my Finnishness. They wanted me to experience the same joy they get from it; for them, it tastes like childhood, like home. So watching me gag and spit it out became a reaffirmation of both my foreignness and their own Finnishness – some sort of cool Scandinavian club that I will never be able to join.

And I'm not the only one. A few years ago, a Finnish candy company launched a campaign for a new salmiakki-flavored ice cream bar. The slogan? "World’s most hated – Finland's most loved." My friends sent me the link to the ad, which shows pretty clearly the stark contrast between the taste palate of foreigners and Finns. Note: "This tastes Finnish."

When my friends visit me in America, they unfailingly bring a present of salmiakki candy. They still want to believe I can be converted to their salty black brand of national pride. Or, I have this new theory that they already know I’m not going to eat it, so they just bring it for themselves. It is very common for Finns traveling abroad to bring their own personal stash of salmiakki, their own little reminder of home.

And I respect that. As much as I hate the taste, I love salmiakki in my own way. Finland became a second home, and even though I don't have those childhood memories of growing up surrounded by salmiakki, I have my own fond associations. It reminds me of my friends, families and city: it reminds me of my year as an exchange student and the fact that, even though that has become a part of me, I am forever attached to my identity as an American, with all the taste preferences that implies.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Organic Produce in a Liquor Store

This isn't really a post.  I just wanted to pass this article along given our "Weighing In" discussion from two weeks ago.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/09/15/skip-twinkies-oaklands-liquor-stores-start-stocking-organic-produce


Thursday, September 13, 2012

A Historic Big-Gulp Ban?

Today, New York City's Board of Health passed Mayor Bloomberg's ban on the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces. Restaurants, food carts, delis, concessions, and arenas must comply by March 12, 2013, and will be fined starting in mid-June. According to Michael Howard Saul's article in the Wall Street Journal, the majority of city voters oppose the ban. I'm undecided.

Initially, I had no qualms. I thought it was great that a policy would finally take a stab at addressing the American obesity issue. Anyway, isn't "prevention the best medicine?" A nutritious diet (sans sugar) would decrease the rate of health-related diseases and, thus, decrease healthcare costs and taxes. Bloomberg's soda ban could create new norms to eat and live healthier, and inspire other policies on nutrition. 

But I soon realized that I have no personal stake in this issue. I don't live in the city, and I don't drink soda. If Bloomberg banned 20 oz boxes of the sugar-coated Sour Patch Watermelon candy, I'm not going to lie, I would be upset. To some, it ostensibly takes away food autonomy. As my roommate said, "What's next? Are they going to take away my ice cream after dinner?" The policy appears to conflict with some of our basic rights, making some people view it as far too invasive.

On the other side, this policy may actually influence more food autonomy down the road. If this big-gulp ban proves to be a success, businesses may not only comply to the policy, but also start introducing healthier drinks. Therefore, affordable healthy options may be introduced to impoverished neighborhoods that usually do not have access to pricier health foods. Regardless, at least this policy will make people start to think and talk about the health detriments of sugar-loaded beverages. This may be a good first step in our fight against the obesity issue in America. 

Then again, where there's a will there's a way. People can still circumvent this policy by buying multiple "legal sized" sodas, or find a place that has unlimited refills. Moreover, this ban does not address other unhealthy beverages. As Casey Neistat says in a New York Times Op-Ed, "7-Eleven, the ubiquitous convenience-store chain, will still be able to serve its 50-ounce Orange Explosion Slurpee, which contains 107 grams of sugar, the equivalent of nearly four full-size Snickers bars." So despite Bloomberg's valiant effort, the "frapp" and "coolatta" fads are still contributing to unhealthy consumption patterns. 

There are multifaceted pro's and con's of the Big-Gulp Ban, but overall I don't think it will cure the 58 percent of obese New Yorkers. Nevertheless, it may be a catalyst to other beneficial, governmental health initiatives. (Hopefully policies that will cover a wider variety of foods, attacking the larger food processing issue.)





Tuesday, September 11, 2012

With a side of political turmoil, please.

I'm a big fan of politics. My morning ritual involves CNN, Politico and HuffPost. Every day I receive about 15 emails from the Obama campaign and actually open some of them. I'm excited to vote; I've got my absentee ballot request ready to go and last week I set up my TV just to watch the DNC. Despite my passion for political issues and appreciate for civic duty and action there is one place I'm deeply saddened could not stay politics free: Chick-fil-a.

I don't know if everyone is familiar with Chick-fil-a but it is by far my favorite "fast food" restaurant. Their speciality is the "original" chicken sandwich: a piece of fried chicken on a buttery bun with butter and pickles. A side of waffle fries and a sweet tea and you're in chicken-induced heaven. Chick-fil-a isn't just delicious, it's a little different. Chicken is the only meat product offered, the restaurant is clean, the employees are friendly, and all locations are closed on Sunday. They make no apologies for this Sunday closing and are quick to explain that it is for "spiritual reasons". Anyone who knows Chick-fil-a knows that it was founded by conservative, Southern Christians with a passion for a good chicken sandwich.

Yet despite being a "raging liberal" (as my Grandfather says) I always kind of liked this aspect of the enterprise. It seemed wholesome and traditional, not just a marketing scheme. At Chick-fil-a I always feel like a customer, not a consumer. So why am I now "deeply saddened"? Because in late July the CEO of Chick-fil-a, Dan Cathy, had to go and run his mouth about the "traditional family unit" and his disapproval of gay marriage. The radio sound-bite spread like wildfire and anti-gay marriage groups and pro-gay groups alike are still up in arms. Mike Huckabee started a "Chick-fil-a Appreciation Day" and GLADD organized a boycott and "Same Sex Kiss Day" at Chick-fil-a's across the country. Now, I can't roll up to the Chick-fil-a window and order my number #1 and sweet-tea without thinking, "What does this say about me? Will someone see me with this bag and think I'm anti-gay marriage?!".

To be clear, Chick-fil-a does not discriminate against gays. But, to read the backlash from his comment you might think they have a "No Gays Allowed" sign on the front door. I can tell you for sure though, there is no such sign. I went home this weekend and ate at Chick-fil-a. I loved every bite and though it crossed my mind, I did not let Dan Cathy's statement tarnish my experience. As much as I believe in voting with your wallet, I do not believe that boycotting Chick-fil-a is going to change Cathy's mind nor is his product inherently against gay marriage. Plus, it's delicious. Really, really delicious.

Ironically, as I was preparing to type up this blog post I saw a NY Times article about a Florida pizza shop owner caught up in a political storm all because he lifted President Obama into a giant bear hug on a recent visit. According to the NY Times, the shop's Yelp page has been taken over by political debates and people hundreds of miles from the Florida shop are chipping in with fake positive or negative reviews, depending on their feelings about the President. I truly hope the regulars of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant can put there politics aside and continue to enjoy food sans a side of politics. After all, political scandals come and go - good food is here to stay.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Eating the Past

"Like tipping one's hat or saying grace, baking and eating gingerbread is a way of reaching back" (Mintz 87).

              The allure of eating foods typified by ancient generations permeates our food choices in ways that are both deceptive and enlightening.  From our "Sweetness and Power" reading, Mintz writes briefly in chapter 3 about how holidays preserve what has been lost in everyday activities.  Specifically, Mintz is talking about how sugar used to be used as a spice in meat dishes, and that habit has since been scaled back to adding brown sugar to ham at Christmas etc. Although I no longer consume pork, I still couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with the past through the preservation of this sugar-as-spice practice.
             Recently, I have gotten into the new food fad of chia seeds.  They are marketed as the "running food."  Aztec warriors would survive on less than a teaspoon a day and march 24 hours to do battle  (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/chia.html).  Apparently, the seeds hydrophilic qualities help you to stay hydrated and fuller longer, while simultaneously hastening your metabolism.  Well, the metabolism aspect pulled me in.  And after a month or so of consistently adding them to my tea/breakfast smoothies, I daresay I'm in love.  But after reading Mintz, I look back on my first inclination to try them and admit that it was the piece about ancient Aztecs that really sold me in the first place.  Their compelling historical usage made me overlook the fact that advertising it so is just a marketing ploy.
             Even today at Pricechopper, I again fell victim to the clever marketing of Peasant Bread:


           "Hand-crafted." ""Traditional European style." "daily staple for centuries." But what these marketers cleverly neglect to inform us, is that the reason that bread was a daily staple was because grain was the cheapest food option.  According to Mintz, the diet of poor families was predicated on the  consistent availability of various grains to make bread and was supplemented by the sparse availability of other, more nutrient-dense foods.  But there I was, 6 centuries later, wanting to feel close to my British ancestors and willing to overlook the fact that peasant bread was not such an endearing term as it is now.  Even with the new knowledge of the reality of the starch-based European diet, I still bought the bread because there is something in me, perhaps in a lot of us, that can't help but feel that our food is in constant decline, and that what was good back then must be better than what we have now, now that so much of what we eat is so processed and shipped.  Something in me, in many of us, is magnetized towards tradition and simplicity.  And I have a feeling that food marketers have caught on to that.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

First Day on the Farm

This past Wednesday, I made the trip to Common Thread with several members of our class for our first day on the farm. Although I encountered many surprises that day, the first began with not minding waking up at 7:30. Normally, I am one of those people who has an incredibly difficult time getting up in the morning. I've been known to continuously hit the snooze button on my alarm for an hour before starting my day. However, this Wednesday I hopped right out of bed despite the early hour because I was actually excited for what lay ahead. I didn't have to worry about preparing for class or remembering the observations I made during the reading last night. I didn't have a care in the world because I knew I was expected to know nothing about what I would be doing. It was a comforting feeling.

When we arrived, we were informed that we would be dividing into two groups for onions and garlic. The garlic group, for which I had been selected, was tasked with cutting the stems off of garlic plants that had been sitting and curing in the greenhouse for weeks. As we sat, we talked about our lives and got to know one another; it was truly a bonding experience. Before we knew it, we were done for the day. The three hours went by very quickly, especially in comparison with three hours spent at the library which seem to move at a snail's pace.

When I had thought of farm work earlier that morning, I was imagining that we would be out in the fields, harvesting crops. I hadn't considered that we might be sitting for the entire time in a warm greenhouse having a pleasant and entertaining conversation. Farm work is something that I, like many Americans, have inaccurately stereotyped to quite a large degree. I have a mental picture of what "farm work" looks like, and it does not include sitting in a greenhouse. That being said, I had a great time that day, learning about and laughing with my classmates as we engaged in the mindless activity of cutting garlic. Mindless though it was, I rather enjoyed working with the garlic. I love to cook, and freshly chopped garlic (preferably from the farmers market) is an ingredient in most of my creations. It was neat to see what it looks like in its original form and actually make the connections between this bulb of flavor that I love and the form it takes before it's cut and washed for my convenience.

Another surprise that day was the overhauling of the stereotype I had of who farmers are and what they look like. We worked that day alongside the two farming apprentices, Kat and Johanna - both female, both in their twenties (I'm guessing), and both having other careers that differ significantly from farming. In my mind, I typically imagine farmers as old men, at times even crotchety old men. Perhaps this is due to the images I've seen in television and movies. Perhaps it comes from an assumption I hold against my will that manual laborers are predominantly male. Perhaps it comes from elsewhere. Regardless, the two women differed from my expectations of who they would be. Kat, who I worked more closely with, is a stand-up comedienne in addition to working on the farm. Part of the reason she took so long to discover her love of farming, she explained to us, was because farming never seemed to be an option of something she could actually do with her life. For those of us who did not grow up on a farm or in a predominantly agrarian community, farming does not typically present itself as a career option unless you really struggle to seek it out. To me, farming has always seemed to be the kind of career that one inherits, like being royalty, rather than something that anyone could do if he or she were so inclined.

Similarly surprising to me, the other apprentice Johanna explained that before working at Common Thread, she had been part of a professional dance company. It's not like I thought female farmers did not exist, but what I did not expect was for female farmers to work in such a stereotypically masculine job after working in such a stereotypically feminine one like being a professional dancer.

This week, I learned that the notions I have of farming and farmers are so obscured by the images I have been presented with that I have lived my entire life completely disconnected from what farming really is and who farmers are. I hope to change the ill-conceived notions I have while working on the farm this semester so that I can improve my understanding of where the food I eat actually comes from, something I am aching to learn more about.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

My First Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich


For the longest time, I refused to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When I was younger, I thought that classic kid-friendly sandwich would be gross because I did not like jelly. The idea of combining jelly and peanut butter on a sandwich seemed even grosser than jelly by itself. My go-to sandwich growing up was just a plain peanut butter sandwich on white bread. Even though I now like jelly, I still haven’t had the urge to try that sandwich.

When I told people that I had never eaten a PB&J sandwich, people were outraged. If someone were in the process of eating one, many people would shove the sandwich in my face and desperately try to make me take a bite. When I refused, many of my friends immediately offered to make me one of my own. Even if they did not have jelly, peanut butter, or bread left, people offered to immediately go buy all of the necessary ingredients. Interestingly enough, if a different friend offered a certain kind of jelly, others would yell back, outraged at the suggestion of a different kind of jelly. This inevitably would open up a debate about what kind of jelly, what kind of peanut butter, and what kind of bread make the best PB&J. Not only were the ingredients debated, but the manner of spreading the ingredients and the method of cutting the sandwich are all very important to PB&J lovers. I never realized how strongly people felt about a fairly common sandwich.

My guess as to why particularly college-aged kids are so passionate about the PB&J sandwich is that there are many memories from childhood that relate to it. The PB&J seems to be one of the classic comfort foods from childhood, one that is still acceptable to eat occasionally and easy to make throughout adulthood. People seem to be clinging onto those precious memories of when their parents would make them a PB&J, spreading the ingredients with love and cutting the sandwich just the way that they know you like it. Most people would be judged if they pulled out a Lunchable at work, but somehow a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is acceptable, especially when accompanied by an excuse, such as “I was in a rush this morning.”

Although I enjoyed the fun fact about myself that I have never had a PB&J, I was convinced to try the sandwich a few days ago. My friend made two identical sandwiches: one for me and one for him. According to him, the only correct way to make a PB&J is to use Jif Smooth Peanut Butter, Smuckers Strawberry Jam, and some sort of Italian white bread. The jam has to be spread first (or else the peanut butter contaminates jam jar) followed by the peanut butter, both spread with care and attention. Then the sandwich has to be cut into four squares, definitely not the four triangles that result from cutting the sandwich diagonally.

I was very nervous to take that first bite. I was worried that I wouldn’t like it and would offend my friend. After the first bite, I was confused and still thought it was a weird combination. By the second square, I understood the appeal. It was good but I already wanted to take my own crack at the equation. When I mentioned that I would want to try it on wheat bread, my friend was horrified. I also suggested almond butter as an alternative. He found this even more outrageous. I have yet to try it, but next time I go for the PB&J sandwich, I will make a raspberry jam and smooth almond butter sandwich on whole wheat bread cut into 2 diagonals. I have come to think that everyone’s favorite PB&J says more about who you are as a person than what your favorite type of jelly is. My first PB&J was good, but I am even more excited to try a PB&J with my own twist. 

Friday, September 7, 2012

Week 1 = Success

          The first week of helping out at the Common Thread farm is in the books as the Friday group I am a part of finished up earlier today.  I am sure not every morning will be as nice (weather wise) throughout the semester, but after my first experience at Common Thread, I am looking forward to Friday mornings on the farm.  We started our morning in the greenhouse by trimming the stalks from cloves of garlic and peeling loose skin from the outside of onions so they could be put into 50 pound produce bags.  As the sun began to come out as time went on you could begin to feel the temperature inside the greenhouse heat up.  I was a little surprised to hear from the assistant Cat that most of the garlic we were cutting had been drying in the green house since some time in July.  I also learned that you could tell that garlic was bad/rotting if you could peel back a layer or two of outside skin and see a yellowish color.  Pure white is ideal and means the garlic is fine for consuming.
After about an hour and a half of greenhouse work we split into two groups and moved to the fields to the left of the greenhouse to harvest celery and carrots.  After taking a bite out of a carrot right out of the ground and trying to ignore the grittiness of the dirt I couldn't avoid eating, I was impressed with the  vibrant taste that store bought carrots from large company's just can't seem to compete with.  It was surprising to see that the farm dog Boone enjoyed fresh carrots just as much as we did; I can honestly say that was the first time I have seen a dog chow down on any type of vegetable.  I have also never seen a dog with so much energy as he had, I grew tired just watching him run.  As soon as we were done loading the buckets of carrots and celery into the pickup truck Chris had driven out to the field, we all piled into the bed of the truck with the produce and headed back to the barn to partake in some washing.
          I took part in the washing of celery.  We dumped the tubs of celery we had collected from the field into large galvanized steel tubs full of what felt to be ice water to wash off any dirt that stuck to the leaves and stems before we could stack them into rectangular baskets (I forget the technical name of them) for storage.  After the washing had concluded, Chris surprised our group by cutting open a watermelon for us to eat as we took a little break and conversed by the pickup truck outside the barn.  Unlike the huge oblong watermelon one would usually see in a chain grocery store, the watermelon Chris cut for us was a little smaller than a soccer ball.  The second he stuck the knife into the watermelon rind, juice began to pour out.  For being so small, the watermelon packed a sweet punch of sugary heaven.  I know I must have had juice running down my face but I didn't care because I was caught up in the joyous outcry of my taste buds.
          Whether we were in the field as a group or in the barn doing work, the conversation never seemed to stop.  I think everyone in our group found working with the land and conversing with others to be satisfying.  Our fist day on the farm was very enjoyable.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

first day on the farm

We made a visit to Common Thread Community Farm on Tuesday afternoon, to meet Farmer Chris, get a tour, pick and eat some wonderful cherry tomatoes, and to generally see where the students will be working each week this semester.  The first groups start work this week, so maybe we'll see a post or two about their farm adventures soon.


Monday, September 3, 2012

The Brewster

               Upon the suggestion of a trusted friend, I drove the 30 minutes to Cazenovia to eat dinner at the Brewster Inn.  For those of you have never been to the Brewster, I strongly recommend that you put it near the top of your priority list of places to try.
            After I mistakenly asked the inn's concierge instead of the hostess to be seated, my friend and I were guided to the dining room, which overlooks Cazenovia Lake.  We sat at a two-person table, surrounded by tables predominantly occupied by a middle-aged to older crowd.
               My friend and I elected to eat from the Tavern menu as it was slightly gentler on our wallets, though not by much (http://www.thebrewsterinn.com).  To save even more, we passed on salads and shared one appetizer instead (saving us about $15).  As we cut into our Scallop and Lobster (stuffed corn crepe with a Tahitian vanilla bean beurre blanc) served on a single plate, I looked up to an adjacent table where four adults simultaneously turned away, as if they had just been watching us.  Now, I have chosen to call them adults so as to make the distinction that they themselves seemed to be making with their subsequent whisperings and upturned noses.  Although I would not claim that my friend and I represent the most sophisticated strata of the population, (and I will admit that perhaps my friend's rainbows and my tie-dyed leggings may not have been the best choices for this particular restaurant), their stares clearly indicated their displeasure with our presence in this restaurant on the lake.
                When my friend took a bite directly from the appetizer platter, without first letting it rest on his small appetizer plate, one of the ladies wearing a chunky black necklace with more mass than there was food on her plate, visibly shielded her face in disgust.  When we got a second basket of bread, she rolled her eyes.
                Though her attitude was less than welcoming, I couldn't help but consider the culture surrounding fine dining.  I seldom encounter such a blatant manifestation of snootiness, but that does not lead me to believe that it does not exist.  For some, perhaps expensive cuisine is a demarcation of their hard work and an excuse to be surrounded by like-minded people.  Perhaps fine dining represents a subdued class distinction that they don't get to outwardly flaunt in many other public spaces.  But I still could not address my growing self-conciousness that I was somehow interrupting their dinner just by enjoying the same nuanced cuisine.
                For dinner, I had the prime soft-shelled crabs (pan-fried with over roasted tomatoes, lemon caper sauce and garlic mash potatoes), and my friend had the mushroom chèvre ravioli (tossed with a Neopolitan pomodoro sauce).  We shared lava cake for dessert.  We left with a doggy bag full of bread.
                During the ride home I wondered about that lady and her inevitably lesser experience. And it hit me, the culture of fine dining is one that appreciates a holistic experience.  The soft lighting, the swaying dock through the window, the display case of bottle openers - all of this is a part of fine dining.   And my friend and I probably could have donned a pair of sperries or pearl earrings, or eaten off the appetizer plates instead of straight from the appetizer platter - something to have experienced the reality of this food culture, albeit disappointingly closed-minded at times.  So, while I do think that the adjacent table could have worked a little bit harder to have a better collective attitude, I will admit that maybe eating out in general can be thought of in a way that is more immersive than simply filling your stomach with some good eats that you don't have to cook yourself.  And perhaps my friend and I could have also paid a little more attention to ourselves and the atmosphere we agreed to be a part of, although I doubt my friend would have ditched his rainbows in the end.