Do we really need food?

[imatree]

Do we really need food?

Ah, but the thing is Beatle, in our modern society we have lost our reverence for food and eating. Food is our most intimate connection with the natural world. Sharing food with others used to shape human culture. Preparing food was once done with honor, reverence and appreciation. Then came convenience foods the past few decades and we disconnected from all that. Now food is a chore.

Have you heard of the Slow Food movement? It's all about reviving those pleasures lost, so that once again our lives can be enriched by the bounty our planet offers us rather than burdened by the need for nourishment.

[zincityzen]

Do we really need food?

Slow Food Movement ... sounds like a digestive issue.

I agree, however, that putting love, thought, connectedness in sharing meals along with intentional food prep does make me eat less!

I've put on a little weight since going from abs to mod, but part of that is eating dysconsciously. Important to get back on track.

[Determinator]

Do we really need food?

slow food is the best! yes it takes time but as imatree points out it's a vital part of worldly culture. this instant gratification carboard box food culture nausiates me. I watched the Stallone movie "demolition man" in horrified amusement...you really must see it if you haven't. it's set in the future where the mega-coporate mergers have made all restaurants in the known world taco bell!! love making is reduced to a non-contact video game, etc etc. ok, back to the food issue..it's really not hard to make nutrtious and tasty food if you know how. I realize a lot of people get confused and frustrated in the kitchen which is why we need to hold some cooking seminars for MWOuters. There are even some good shows on the FOODTV chanel.

[Determinator]

Do we really need food?

when I lived in Oz there was a big Italian family next door and it was a profound cultural experience to spend time with them. Those people truly have some things to teach us about living and enjoying family life....everything is a celebration to them.

[adagirl]

Do we really need food?

I LOVE food! Good food!!! If I had to choose between going to any restaurant I want and ordering anything I want vs. a night of wild sex w/any fantasy being fulfilled, I would choose the FOOD!!! Don't take away my FOOD!!!

[imatree]

Do we really need food?

In the words of Wendell Berry...
"A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one's accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which the food comes."

To get out of a food funk, learn about your food. And I mean real food. Go to a farmer's market every week and talk to the farmers. Go to farms. Go online and read about the small family farms in your area, or that supply any stores near you. This will help to reconnect you to what food really is about.

I write about food for a living for a grocery store company... some of it is just semi-dull marketing, but what I get most pumped about is writing about the local fishermen who bring us salmon, or the Japanese family who grows the most amazing blueberries, including what makes these foods different than what you find in a typical supermarket. The care that is taken in choosing varieties to grow, in harvesting, in tending the soil, in dealing with unusual weather, etc. This work has forever altered my perception of what food is and has profoundly enriched my life. Now when I prep veggies or even rinse berries I do it with deep reverence and respect, rather than as a chore.

[Flip]

Do we really need food?

I used to be a chef in one of my past lives, so I know how to love and appreciate food, and while I agree heartily with the sentiment, it's not such a pleasure to cook when you get home late, you haven't had time to bond with the with the food market so there's nothing left in the fridge or pantry, the kitchen's a bomb site because you didn't clean up the night before and the kids are starving.

it takes time to put love into food, and to be honest, I couldln't be f*cked!!!

[beatle]

Do we really need food?

well, I agree wholeheartedly with imatree about getting in touch with your food and all. but I also agree with Flip. it does take time to put love into your food and that's what it's really all about. time, darnitall. I'd like to make a good segue to Midnight's Children but not sure how. Anyway, I recall there was a cook or someone who managed to imbue the food with her emotions (or was it intentions?). Anybody know what I'm rambling about?

[adagirl]

Do we really need food?

Are you thinking of the book 'Like Water for Chocolate'?

By the way, I love love love to cook, BUT now that I have two young children, it is really hard to make a good meal every night. So, I go to one of those dinner preparation places once/month (Super Suppers, My Girlfriend's Kitchen, Entrees to Go, etc.) and make meals to freeze. They are really good and it simplifies our dinnertime tremendously. Also makes grocery shopping a lot easier. I go to make them once/month, but also order for pick-up in between. The one I go to will make any entree from any previous menu for pick-up so we have a bunch of favorites now. Its nice to have a home-cooked meal together as a family every night, but without the chaos of trying to make it and clean up after it every night. I highly recommend trying out one of these places. And, if you don't like the first, try another one. Most are franchises and quality may differ quite a bit from one owner to the next.

[xtexan]

Do we really need food?

Scientifically, our bodies need the myriad complex of proteins, carbohydrates, and fiber found in a balanced diet. I studied the biochemistry of organisms, and the range of things found in plants, animals, fungi (mushrooms and such), is staggering. Molecular structure upon molecular structure. Certain things must be consumed in bulk.
Supplements are only a tiny fraction of the things we need. Supplments are like spark plugs, for the fuel (food).

I bake my own 100% whole wheat bread often in a machine, and the difference between it and store bought is incredible. I have apple trees on my land, and look forward to those (frost killed the buds this year, rats.)

Anyway, try this sometime for absolute sin. Get some fresh black cherries, and pit and halve. Get some good ripe strawberries, and cut in quarters. Then some nectarine pieces. Best fresh from farmers market. Finally, pomegranate seeds. About a cup of each fruit. Then mix some clover honey with grapefruit juice half/half. Pour over the fruits. Now I cannot stop slobbering thinking about this.

Neil

[imatree]

Do we really need food?

oooh, x... sounds sooo good....
hey, i rattle on about reverence for food and all, and yeah, I also am an overworked mom. Too often dinner for my daughter is a can of black beans heated and poured over crushed tortilla chips with cheddar on top, simple stuff like that. But my point is, as much as i am able, I do LOVE to LOVE the food i prepare and eat. and it doesn't have to take a lot of time. And even so... many saturday mornings I'm too wiped (or hungover) to get to the farmers market. Or I have to buy the commodity chicken rather than the one who lived a good life and was processed cleanly and responsibly, due to restricted finances. But I just get the pleasure whereever and whenever I can. Like last night.... I got farm fresh garlic sprouts and zuccini, sauteed in olive oil, tossed in some tomatoes at the end, served over polenta (bought in a tube but fresh and good), sprinkled parmesan on top. I know the farmer who grew the garlic (she uses a horse rather than a tractor to plow her fields) and the farmer who grew the zukes (he's my hero)... took me about 15 minutes and it was decadent, and satisfying to body mind and soul.
Simply try being mindful to a single meal a week, and see the difference it makes. And you want to talk about imbibing food with emotion... when you have such reverence and appreciation food, that does imbibe it with something,,, makes it very special ... there is a difference when you eat it.
(btw, last night i fed my daughter hot dogs and leftover french fries from lunch... threw in some raw snap peas from a farm down the road)

[Flip]

Do we really need food?

I guess you can take comfort that the hot dogs and FF were given to her with love!!!!