Slow Food Movement

[Just the facts]

I came across this the other day and I'll admit I didn't even know it was a movement. I thought it was just how certain parts of the world were by default. The Slow Food movement is an effort to restore traditional ways of growing and preparing food. In an age of mass grown food, manufactured in a factory, and sold on a dollar menu I am glad efforts like this are out there. We waste so much food that maybe it should cost more, take longer to make, taste better, and be healthier.

Slow Food International - Good, Clean and Fair food.

[foodiefan]

there actually is a "chapter" in OKC. . .they do a thing at the Harn Homestead every year. . .not sure how active they are other than that.

[zookeeper]

I came across this the other day and I'll admit I didn't even know it was a movement. I thought it was just how certain parts of the world were by default. The Slow Food movement is an effort to restore traditional ways of growing and preparing food. In an age of mass grown food, manufactured in a factory, and sold on a dollar menu I am glad efforts like this are out there. We waste so much food that maybe it should cost more, take longer to make, taste better, and be healthier.

Slow Food International - Good, Clean and Fair food.

Great topic!

One of the most eye-opening documentaries I have ever seen is King Corn. I had read about it over and over and kept putting it off thinking it couldn't be all that interesting. Was I ever wrong. I read a review saying this was "required viewing" for every American and that it keeps your interest all the way through and expect to be transformed. It was all that and more.

It won the Peabody and deservedly so.

It's online, in full, on YouTube:
King Corn - YouTube

[Just the facts]

From what I can tell so far "slow food" means different things to different people. Personally for me I am intrigued in the production of food using traditional methods. While watching the series "Kevin McCloud's Grand Tour" he did a segment on cheese making in Parma, Italy (Italy is the birthplace of the Slow Food movement and Parma is the birthplace of parmesan cheese). The milk has to go from cow to cheese in less than 20 hours and takes year to age. Kraft parmesan cheese that we eat here in America isn't even real cheese. No wonder our Alfredo sauce doesn't taste as good.

Most Parmesan Cheeses In America Are Fake, Here's Why - Forbes

[zookeeper]

From what I can tell so far "slow food" means different things to different people. Personally for me I am intrigued in the production of food using traditional methods. While watching the series "Kevin McCloud's Grand Tour" he did a segment on cheese making in Parma, Italy (Italy is the birthplace of the Slow Food movement and Parma is the birthplace of parmesan cheese). The milk has to go from cow to cheese in less than 20 hours and takes year to age. Kraft parmesan cheese that we eat here in America isn't even real cheese. No wonder our Alfredo sauce doesn't taste as good.

Most Parmesan Cheeses In America Are Fake, Here's Why - Forbes

You are right. However, JTF, King Corn is chock full of reasons to be a part of the Slow Food movement. In fact, I have seen it three times and one time was at the Inwood Theater in Dallas and it was sponsored by three organizations, one of which introduced me to Slow Food. It's a must-see.

[Just the facts]

I am getting ready to watch it now - while I have some time my hands. Ironcially, I have a desire for some microwave popcorn to watch the movie with.

[Just the facts]

I finished watching the movie and it just reinforces what I already know - government involvement in the private sector leads to a boat load of unintended consequences that are usually bigger problems than what they were trying to fix in the first place, and then instead of undoing their previous manipulation to solve the new (and worse problem) they implement another solution for the new problem and the cycle repeats. What a disaster - but hey - so long as the food is cheap who cares.

Anyhow, I made a family announcement last night - no products with high fructose corn syrup and only grass-fed beef unless alternatives aren't available. Fortunately we have a Native Sun grocery near our home so we should be okay.

Finally, that movie blew the whole "Ethanol causes the price of corn to go up" theory out of the water.

[BBatesokc]

One of the reasons we moved to an acreage was so that we could grow more of our own food. We have raised beds going in this winter and early spring and plan to expand each year. Wife already makes all our bread - put four loaves in this morning (we share with neighbors). We also are avid composters. I was glad to see OKC is looking at relaxing their restriction of egg laying hens. I'm hoping some day Edmond will do the same. As it is though, several neighbors have had hens for years in Edmond without issue. I'd like the fresh eggs.

We also bought a large green house kit from Harbor Freight I need to assemble soon so we can start some seeds early spring.

[cagoklahoma]

Anyhow, I made a family announcement last night - no products with high fructose corn syrup and only grass-fed beef unless alternatives aren't available. Fortunately we have a Native Sun grocery near our home so we should be okay.

This is something I did two years ago in January. I decided to stop consuming fake sugars, HFC and aspartame were the two primary targets. I will tell you it has been relatively easy, in the sense that I don't crave many things with HFC or aspartame. The difficult part, and by difficult I mean nearly impossible some days, is finding products that don't have HFC. Some of my favorite BBQ sauces, apple sauce, pop tarts, even many breads. I have been about successful as one can be in my efforts to minimize the amount of HFC and aspartame in my diet, although some things still slip by every once in a while. The "health food" stores are still stocked with tons of items that contain HFC and other artificial sweeteners, but I it can be done. Good luck!

Another documentary that you might enjoy is Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.

[Just the facts]

The difficult part, and by difficult I mean nearly impossible some days, is finding products that don't have HFC. Some of my favorite BBQ sauces, apple sauce, pop tarts, even many breads.

Tell me about it. Try buying jelly without it. The store has a 10 foot section with 5 shelves of jellies - guess how many varieties didn't have HFC? Answer - 1 (Smucker's Simply Fruit). I thought we might have to start making our own jelly. Growing up my mom and grandmother made all our jelly. I didn't eat store bought jelly until I moved out on my own.

[lasomeday]

Tell me about it. Try buying jelly without it. The store has a 10 foot section with 5 shelves of jellies - guess how many varieties didn't have HFC? Answer - 1 (Smucker's Simply Fruit). I thought we might have to start making our own jelly. Growing up my mom and grandmother made all our jelly. I didn't eat store bought jelly until I moved out on my own.

My cousin that lives on a farm in Western Oklahoma makes all kinds of jellies for the family at Christmas from scratch! Best stuff ever! She made us Apricot butter and it was insane! They can everything and make everything from scratch.

[Just the facts]

I don't necessary want to make everything myself, I just want to buy food that someone else made slowly. And of course, I would prefer they do it using better ingredients. I love sweet tea but now I am going to have to start asking what it is sweetened with when we eat out (and I am praying the answer is cane sugar).

On a side note, my wife in an attempt to prove some kind of point started going through the pantry identifying all the items we shouldn't eat. I told her baby steps - let's cut out/reduce HFC and grain-fed beef for now and after we get that down we can move to some other item. No need to jump off the cliff when we can climb down.

[MadMonk]

From what I can tell so far "slow food" means different things to different people. Personally for me I am intrigued in the production of food using traditional methods. While watching the series "Kevin McCloud's Grand Tour" he did a segment on cheese making in Parma, Italy (Italy is the birthplace of the Slow Food movement and Parma is the birthplace of parmesan cheese). The milk has to go from cow to cheese in less than 20 hours and takes year to age. Kraft parmesan cheese that we eat here in America isn't even real cheese. No wonder our Alfredo sauce doesn't taste as good.

Most Parmesan Cheeses In America Are Fake, Here's Why - Forbes

Interesting. I knew the green-can stuff wasn't "real" Parmesan, but I had no idea the artisan Parmesan wedges I've been buying could be inauthentic. I'll have to pay closer attention to the labels and pick up some real Parmigiano-Reggiano and see if I can taste any difference.

[Stew]

The government has made it so darn cheap and easy (and corporately profitable) to eat junk that it's hard for non-crap traditional food to compete. Education and awareness is the first step. We should put as much thought into our food purchases as we do our electronic, car and shiney distraction purchases.

I'm all for this.

[ctchandler]

MM,
I doubt you will be able to tell the difference. If it's produced by a good company, chances are it is produced in the same way it's produced in Parma, It. At one time California wines were scoffed at but after a few years, the wine snobs learned that there were some fine wines coming out of Napa Valley and now they rank right up there with some of the world's finest wines. It is true that certain things in an environment can produce subtle differences that can't be duplicated in another environment but good quality Parmesan cheese will taste good and the difference in taste (if any) should be minimal. I'm no cheese expert, just my opinion and personal experience with both Parmegiano-Reggiano and domestic Parmesan cheese. I have also enjoyed Champagne from France and while good, I have had just as good from California.

C. T.

Interesting. I knew the green-can stuff wasn't "real" Parmesan, but I had no idea the artisan Parmesan wedges I've been buying could be inauthentic. I'll have to pay closer attention to the labels and pick up some real Parmigiano-Reggiano and see if I can taste any difference.

[cagoklahoma]

FYI, you can ask if the sweet tea is brewed or fountain. It's cheaper for most restaurants to brew their own tea, and will add cane sugar themselves, but if it comes from a BIB (bag in box, fountain) it will almost always be sweetened with HFC or aspartame, in cases of diet drinks.

[SoonerDave]

FYI, you can ask if the sweet tea is brewed or fountain. It's cheaper for most restaurants to brew their own tea, and will add cane sugar themselves, but if it comes from a BIB (bag in box, fountain) it will almost always be sweetened with HFC or aspartame, in cases of diet drinks.

Aspartame is not used in fountain diet drinks in the same proportion as their retail counterparts because it loses its sweetness characteristic too quickly in that packaged form. As a result, the sweetener is a blend of saccharine and aspartame.

[Just the facts]

FYI, you can ask if the sweet tea is brewed or fountain. It's cheaper for most restaurants to brew their own tea, and will add cane sugar themselves, but if it comes from a BIB (bag in box, fountain) it will almost always be sweetened with HFC or aspartame, in cases of diet drinks.

I checked today - brewed and sweetened with cane sugar. Whew!

[MadMonk]

MM,
I doubt you will be able to tell the difference. If it's produced by a good company, chances are it is produced in the same way it's produced in Parma, It. At one time California wines were scoffed at but after a few years, the wine snobs learned that there were some fine wines coming out of Napa Valley and now they rank right up there with some of the world's finest wines. It is true that certain things in an environment can produce subtle differences that can't be duplicated in another environment but good quality Parmesan cheese will taste good and the difference in taste (if any) should be minimal. I'm no cheese expert, just my opinion and personal experience with both Parmegiano-Reggiano and domestic Parmesan cheese. I have also enjoyed Champagne from France and while good, I have had just as good from California.

C. T.

I suspect that you are correct about the cheese. However, this gives me an excuse for me to buy more cheese so....

[Just the facts]

I think you might be surprised at how much you can tell the difference - especially it if is used as an ingredient in something else. I told my wife I could taste the difference between milk from a carton and milk from a plastic jug and she didn't believe so she setup a series of blind taste tests (including trying to trick me by putting plastic milk in both glasses). I got it right every time. Now the only question is, is the difference in taste and health worth the price difference? For me at this point in my life, I say yes.

[MadMonk]

I think you might be surprised at how much you can tell the difference - especially it if is used as an ingredient in something else. I told my wife I could taste the difference between milk from a carton and milk from a plastic jug and she didn't believe so she setup a series of blind taste tests (including trying to trick me by putting plastic milk in both glasses). I got it right every time. Now the only question is, is the difference in taste and health worth the price difference? For me at this point in my life, I say yes.

So, that raises the obvious question - which do you prefer? Carton or plastic jug?

[zookeeper]

Glad you liked King Corn! This news tonight from newsok....somewhat related....
FDA's trans fat ban could be good news for Oklahoma's canola farmers | News OK

[Just the facts]

So, that raises the obvious question - which do you prefer? Carton or plastic jug?

Carton. . My wife still buys it in the plastic jug

Can you still buy milk in a bottle?

[Prunepicker]

Carton. My wife still buys it in the plastic jug...

Can you still buy milk in a bottle?

When I was but a plum the school served milk in glass bottles. Later it
was cartons.

I remember driving to the dairy to get our milk. It was whole milk and in
glass containers. The jug needed to be shaken so the cream was
equally dispensed.

Later Meadow Gold had home delivery. We had whole milk in glass
containers. The jug needed to be shaken so the cream was equally
dispensed. I believe we received 4 gallons per week. We kids would
get a package of marbles. That was the equivalent to a Wii.