Often, fresh nutritional food is spoken of as "fresh from the garden". I want to bring to your attention that there's food in "them there woods". On one of our trips to France, I have a fond memory of going out looking for chestnut trees on the side of the road with my husband, Chef Roland, and his parents. It was a wonderful experience for all of us and a great reason to go for an outing. They are in their late 80's and you could tell they really enjoyed being our guides to a choice spot and that they were able to "pass down" part of their food culture to me, their American daughter-in-law who had never harvested chestnuts in the wild. It was beyond a Kodak moment. After we located and gleened the chestnuts from a quaint country French farm road, we took them home where Chef Roland's mother cooked up a scrumptious chestnut soup for part of our evening meal. That experience beat out anything else France had to offer! Since I've not been diligent to post anything for the holidays, I will make this my contribution because ,really, it's about family and memories. So, I've posted a link for a nice chestnut recipe. Unfortunately, they are a little expensive in the store. However, you can contact the Missouri Department of conservation and purchase a bundle of chestnut trees for a nominal cost and start your own chestnut orchard!!
http://frenchfood.about.com/od/soupsandstews/r/chestnut.htm Merry Christmas & Bon Appetit!
1 Comment
What a honey of a mess! It's getting so complicated in the food markets to know what you are REALLY eating, or not. If you like honey, or if you are just interested on how complicated and tricky food distributors/producers can be......check this article out:
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/ Alot of people are totally unaware of the controversy regarding raw milk vs. pasturized milk. Raw milk is illegal, just like cocaine, marijuana, and so on. So, why? Is it true that pasturized milk is the better, best and the only acceptable way to drink milk. Many people think not and it's very important for you to do your own research and find out why this controversy exists. Some people believe that pasturization destroys the nutritional integrity of milk and we, in fact, need the nutrients that are being destroyed for optimal health. I've included a very interesting article about some mothers who took action regarding the issue of raw milk being illegal.
http://www.naturalnews.com/034027_raw_milk_protest.html Bon Apetit! I found another one so I can't resist passing it on so that I can do my part to educate others as to the controversies regarding GMO's.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/why-arent-g-m-o-foods-labeled/?ref=geneticallymodifiedfood Bon Apetit! I was soooooooooo excited to see the post I've linked to for you to review. Please, if you have ANY concerns at all about GMO's or Mansanto or preserving your right to naturally reproducing seed that is nonhybrid, please copy and paste this link everywhere you possibly can and make a committment to follow this case closely, notifying every representative you can of this action!
http://rareseeds.com/GMO_lawsuit Bon Apetit!!! Hello!
I'm very excited in that I've recently come across a website where concerned individuals have the opportunity to collectively address the FDA over labeling Genetically Modified Foods (referred to as GMO's which is Genetically Modified Organisms). If you are interested in the health risks of these Frakenfoods (foods created in a laboratory "like a frakenstein") this is your opportunity to sign a petition asking that the public AT THE LEAST be made aware of which GMO foods are in the public market for consumption and then they can make personal decisions as to whether they would like to consume these products, OR NOT!! Some people might have questions as to what could possible be wrong with ingesting GMO's. I think if you do a little research on bio-compatibility, you will see that it is a VERY serious concern. As the incidence of food alergies and other potentially related food/health/body & mind performace issues steadily increase, it's time food consumers begin to educate themselves as to what the food controversies are really about. So, with that lead in, here is the link that will further address the issue and offer an opportunity to add your name to the growing demand for the labeling of GMO's: http://co101w.col101.mail.live.com/default.aspx#!/mail/InboxLight.aspx?n=1428152742!fid=1&n=1227622108&mid=aa517f88-ee91-11e0-b563-002264c24a08&fv=1 Bon Apetit! Ugh!! No more apologies, I'm a bad blog manager! Such is life........
Today, I am following a quest to learn more about where our food comes from and on "the other end" of the food chain, it starts with seeds. Unfortunately, seeds are usually only considered by people who work with them, like gardeners. But, let's say you don't garden and don't plan on gardening. That's okay, there's tons of people who do and they are the ones, especially the large food producers who get to make the decisions as to what you put into your mouth. If we believe the old adage "what you don't know can't hurt you", well, you know how that works! The more light shed on a subject, the more clarity and the more informed we can be as consumers so that, by our food purchases, we actually can have a significant impact as to what foods, and the quaility of the foods, that are put into the food market. Even if you are still confused as to why you should be concerned about genetically modified foods (GMO's), I hope you will read over this interesting information that I found on Wikipeida. If anything, it gives you a little more insight as to who Mansanto is as a major player, if not almost a monopoly, in the world of food production. (By the way, they are also the ones that developed Agent Orange, a heribicide/defoliant used during the Vietnam War era.) Bon Apetit! The "seed" of something is usually considered its 'genesis', its nucleus, where something germinates from to become something else. It's miraculous how the basis for our whole food chain, which we are MOST DEPENDENT upon comes from little, sometimes miniscule, seeds.
Likewise, an idea, a dream, and a controversy of with Fascist/Disctatorship-like characteristics can spring from 'a seed'! In previous posts I have referred to Genetically Modified Organisms (primarily food) and the HUGE concerns that we, as a consuming/dependent public should have regarding them. Not only are there some main concerns such as biological compatability and unknown health consequences, the most concerning is the idea that we no longer will have the freedom to produce our own food. Some people have referred to me, Elaine Parny, as an alarmist and that I unnecessarily focus on the negative. I can tell you this, if the public does not go out of its way to question, investigate and advocate, it will be subjected to tyranny in every area of their lives. And, with the control over food production, any ruling agency will, in fact, have the government sanctioned capacity to exploit your dependence on food and to regulate what you can and cannot have for food consumption, unconcerned as to your optimum health but rather prioritizing the producers profits. Case in point, please read the following: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateU&navID=&page=Newsroom&result&dDocName=STELPRDC5092024&dID=152103&wf=false&description=USDA+Grants+Protection+to+40+New+Plant+Varieties+&topNav=Newsroom&leftNav=&rightNav1=&rightNav2= I soooooooooo apologize for neglecting our blog for so long. Life just keeps getting in the way of things I want and need to get done. That's my excuse....it's the best I have.
I just came across this clip and, SERIOUSLY, it tells the story of WHY France is so well known for their fine cuisine and their outstanding reputation in Food Culture. We actually visited one of these schools that has a similar program in a small community and it was incredible how the program is managed and the food presented. It takes school lunches and school cafeteria workers to a whole new level!! Enjoy! Bon Apetit! http://www.wimp.com/schoollunches/ We know what we like and, what we like is good food! How we love to go to our favorite restaurants, over to grandma's or enjoy that Sunday family get-together. We have our favorite's no matter where we go and the grocery stores are packed with more choices than we can take home at one time. Variety is everywhere around us and we love it! Soon, that could all come to an end. Sorry, I have a link to another article to alert you to a growing threat to the foods we eat and food's availability, in general.
It's the Bees. Maybe you've heard of Collapsed Hive Syndrome already, but I know there are many people who have never heard of the crisis and how alarmingly threatening it has become to the food supply of our planet. Please, read over this article and understand, it is by the food consumer becoming more aware of food production practices, such as how pesticides are used, and then becoming politically involved, we have a chance to slow down the incidence of Collapsed Hive Syndrome and, hopefully, to reverse this dangerous trend. At the rate it is happening, we have little time left. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8306970/Einstein-was-right-honey-bee-collapse-threatens-global-food-security.html Bon Apetit! |
Elaine ParnyWhen Roland and I met, I was one of those people who opened the box or can and warmed up the family meal. After our marriage in 2005, I truely began to appreciate what food is really about, not only that it can taste very good, and be nutritious, but that it can be a celebration of who you are and the people that you share it with. Archives
December 2012
Categories
All
|