Sitting in a coffee shop in an upstate New York town currently benefiting from a “buy local” main street revitalization, my senses are awakened by the intersection of two food plants from distant lands. The barista, on day 23 of a Paleolithic diet, is peeling a grapefruit and … [Read more...] about Edible, An Illustrated Guide to the World’s Food Plants
Book Reviews
Carlo Petrini’s Terra Madre, Forging a New Global Network of Sustainable Food Communities
Carlo Petrini founded the Slow Food movement in 1989 as an outgrowth of his campaign against the McDonald's fast food chain opening near the Spanish Steps in Rome. An international member-supported nonprofit association and a worldwide network of people, Slow Food is "committed … [Read more...] about Carlo Petrini’s Terra Madre, Forging a New Global Network of Sustainable Food Communities
Dirt, The Erosion of Civilizations by David R. Montgomery
The sky may not be falling, but the earth's soil is eroding faster than it is being replaced and modern civilization's future is endangered. Our earth in David R. Montgomery's words "is an oasis in space rendered hospitable by a thin skin of soil that, once lost, rebuilds only … [Read more...] about Dirt, The Erosion of Civilizations by David R. Montgomery
American Terroir, Savoring the Flavors of Our Woods, Waters, and Fields
This past fall's food festival of the Slow Food movement in Turin, Italy showcased 910 small-scale food producers from around the world. The only products from the U.S.A. on exhibit were beers at the American Craft Brewers Association exhibit. Disappointment over the lack of … [Read more...] about American Terroir, Savoring the Flavors of Our Woods, Waters, and Fields
Maria Rodale’s Organic Manifesto
Maria Rodale's grandfather, J.I. Rodale, founded the magazine, Organic Farming and Gardening in 1942, and her parents, Robert and Ardath Rodale, likewise championed organic agriculture. In their footsteps, Maria Rodale, an organic food activist, now challenges her readers in … [Read more...] about Maria Rodale’s Organic Manifesto
