Sunday, July 1, 2007

Vote with your Fork!

Food Reads

This round's book club book is Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma". Now I read it last year, but I am ecstatic to read it again. I am in love with this book. In fact, I'm doing a little back ground research by reading his previous work, "The Botany of Desire". That book is turning out to be quite an interesting read, covering the coevolution of humans and four plants. The four being the apple, the tulip, cannabis and the potato. I never knew people used to grow apples for booze! It was a safer drink than water though, considering it was cleaner. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" was a PR slogan during the prohibition to get people to eat their apples and not drink them!

"The Omnivore's Dilemma" really illustrated the importance of knowing where your food comes from, and what it means to eat what we eat. I still eat the same foods as before, I haven't black listed eggs, but I try to be more responsible when it comes to where my food comes from. Eating local, sustainable, seasonal (and probably organic) food really can make a difference in the food industry. There is such imbalance currently in the world's outlook on food. The US produces more food than its inhabitants can eat, and meanwhile the 800 million people worldwide who can barely get enough to eat combined with the billions who get just barely enough to eat, can't care if the food on their table is organic and sustainable. As long as it's on their table. If the world was as irresponsble as most of the America citizens when it comes to food and water, we would have run out of resources long ago. I don't know if there are articles to back me up, I'm sure there are. I just know that 6 billion people can't go through 3000 calories a day and 4 bottles of water. There has to be a change, and those fortunate enough to lead the way must vote with their fork.

Read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and let me know if it doesn't change your outlook on what you eat. Oh I still eat a burger, but I enjoy it more if it came from cow that at grass, in a pasture, like cows are supposed to do

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome!

Gruezi!
I finally started my blog. I know, I know, everyone has a blog ... so I figured it was high time for me to get one too. You know of my obsession with food, and my site is devoted to anything and everything food. The title of my page comes from my interest for other countries, cultures and languages. I hope to increase my knowledge and share it with you as I start blogging!

So everyone, e guete! (that's swiss german for buen provecho, guten appetit, bon appetit, buon appetito, or any other lanugage I forgot)

Markell