Waldo Jaquith - On the impracticality of a cheeseburger.
A few years ago, I decided that it would be interesting to make a cheeseburger from scratch. Not just regular “from scratch,” but really from scratch. Like, I’d make the buns, I’d make the mustard, I’d grow the tomatoes, I’d grow the lettuce, I’d grow the onion, I’d grind the beef, make the cheese, etc.
Killing two birds with one giant, bony fish
I’ve been interested in the potential of the Asian Carp, an invasive fish species that can grow up to 100 pounds and tastes something like tilapia, for sometime. It has spread up the Mississippi River and, if electric migration deterrents fail, could enter the great lakes and decimate local populations of delicious walleye, as well as the livelihood of thousands of freshwater fisherman.
However, despite haute cuisine-level tastings, huge economic potential, and millions of hungry Americans, people are still having trouble making getting this potential windfall into our foodways. The name and associations are a probleml, but one easily remedied: no one wants to cook with rapeseed oil, but people feel fine about sauteing in canola; and the Patagonian Toothfish now has to be protected from overfishing under the moniker of the Chilean Sea Bass. Establishing the processing and distribution systems is another issue: the fish was dropped in canned form to support the Haitian disaster recovery, but American fish processors aren’t keen on filleting the bony beasts and food banks don’t foresee a market for minced chunks of anything, much less a fish most people consider bycatch.
The distinction seems particularly meaningless these days: humble European dishes like Spanish boquerones have come into fashion along with their more formal menu peers; and American chefs are unlocking the potential in creatures like monkfish, an ugly, oily thing that, 20 years ago, was considered a garbage fish suitable only for bait, but has come to be considered such a savory delicacy that even its liver is prized by chefs, nationwide.
So when will the carp be making its big splash? Would you be opposed to eating it?
Reversing the stigma of 40 Acres and a Mule
There is a movement for more African Americans to get involved in our country’s food production. But, there are serious societal challenges
because farming carries negative connotations for many African-Americans due to the legacies of slavery, sharecropping and recent discriminatory government policies.
“Black farmers were the backbone of American agriculture,” said John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association. “We went from being slaves to sharecroppers. Black farmers left farming because they didn’t see the financial rewards. Instead, they saw pictures of the old South where there were racial tensions and they didn’t want that for their families.”
With regional American cooking making a huge splash on the restaurant scene, an African American First Lady getting our nation’s children off the couch and into the garden, and serious nutrition issues disproportionately affecting minority communities, the movement has a lot of opportunities ahead, but this struggle against post-bellum discrimination and stigmas will be crucial in years to come.
Infographic: Price X Nutrition of Junk Food and Real Food
It’s widely known that the poorer you are, the more likely you are to be obese. The chart below jumps off of the obesity research of Adam Drewnowski who found that a single dollar could buy more calories of junk food rather than healthy food. He found that a dollar can get someone 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips, but only 250 calories of carrots.
This is a really difficult point to get across. The associations of eating healthy are with small portions of lean ingredients sourced from expensive retailers like Whole Foods. However, a little education can go a long way to feed more people, better, and support local producers at the same time.
While teaching people how to cook for themselves is important, I think the most important food education we need in this country is how to shop. A family’s budget is more relateable, consequential, and telling than any nutritional statistic.
Source: The Huffington Post
