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Friday, June 26, 2009

A History Lesson

Part 2 of my return to blogging is another book review. Local, organic and seasonal are all the rage right now. Even restaurants in Philly are growing their own vegetable gardens. From movies like Food, Inc. to the popularity of Michael Pollan there are signs the times are changing. I'm glad to see that we are moving beyond trendy and expensive organic food only available to the upper class and seeing the big picture here.

None of this is news to you dear reader. You already know about the pleasure of a local beet and the evils of industrial food production. There are many out there who share the same values and are looking toward a future of sustainable agriculture. If we are to think about what more can be done, it is also worth learning from the past and the beginnings of this whole food revolution. While restaurants that serve local, seasonal food and small organic farms seem innovative right now, they are building on a legacy that actually started decades ago.

Anthony Bourdain has introduced me to the world of food and most notably to one chef in particular who in my mind is one of the most iconic chefs in recent history, Alice Waters. You may know of her landmark restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley as the birthplace of so called "Califronia Cuisine" and one of the first places to use local and seasonal ingredients. It has taken on an almost symbolic status to many and Alice Waters has become a leader in socially and environmentally concious eating.

I decided to learn more about her and the obvious choice was a book titled "Alice Waters and Chez Panisse." I got lucky on the first try and found it to be a very thorough and relatively objective look at Waters' personal life, the history of the restaurant, and the social and political environment that inspired her. Learning tidbits like the fact that Julia Child of all people criticized Waters' for her insistence on using the best ingredients really put things in perspective for me. She started a battle that we are maybe only just beginning to win through advocacy and education.

We still have a long ways to go but I'll take inspiration wherever I can get it.

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