I can get behind some of the things that slow food is for, but the politics, really?  Food to me is a haven from all the bullshit in the world (and that includes politics and politicitians and all the other assholes).

But really, the only thing that should matter when you taste something is whether or not it tastes good, not whatever bullshit politician or corporate farmer got wealthier from what you ate, or didn't eat, or whatever.

What Are Your Veggies Capable Of?
Combating Global Warming with Real Tomatoes

Let's take a local, heirloom tomato. It's got a funky, irregular shape. It's a little yellow, a little red. When you pick it up, it's soft, delicate; it almost feels bruised. It's like nothing else, not even like the other heirloom tomatoes in the bin.

Compare this with your typical mass-produced, agribusiness tomato: hard, round, red, bland. Biting into one, you notice a mealy texture.

Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet, a new book by Eric Sorensen and Sightline Institute, holds up the local, vine-ripened tomato--the "real tomato"--as one of seven everyday things that can help us solve global warming.

Here's how:

That bland, supermarket tomato described above? It was grown using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and picked hard and "mature green," ethylene gassed to make it red. It traveled 1,500 to 2,500 miles to market; there's even about a one in three chance that it was imported. Tens of thousands of tons of carbon-dioxide emissions are released when we grow, process, and ship tomatoes like this.

Our local, vine-ripened friend, on the other hand, didn't have to travel as far to the table. There's a better chance that it was produced organically, without the fertilizers and pesticides that are responsible for more than one-third of the energy used on U.S. farms. Because it didn't have to travel thousands of miles in a refrigerated truck, it's softer, juicier--more delicious.

And what goes for tomatoes goes for other fruits and vegetables, too. Buying local and organic, whenever we can, dramatically reduces the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the food we eat. Research shows that distributing food across continents releases five to seventeen times the carbon dioxide of local distribution. Supporting local agriculture is clearly the solution for reducing the impact our diet has on our climate.

What can you do? Seek out local, organic food at a neighborhood farmers market, join a CSA, or look into starting a P-Patch or growing produce in your yard. Read about the hundred-mile diet and the slow food movement. Engage in political efforts to improve food production.

Eat well. Bon appétit!

The other six wonders for combating global warming are the library book, clothesline, bicycle, ceiling fan, microchip, and condom. Read more here.

Read my review of Seven Wonders here.

The Greater Binghamton area, if fact, most of the Southern Tier is comprised of a melting pot beyond comprehension. We are steeped in culture, and built from a solid work ethic. But our love and celebration of our ethnic heritage through our love of food is where Greater Binghamton shines the brightest. Think of our Greek Festival, the Ukrainian Festival, Little Italy Days and the Feast days of Saint Anthony's. We are the reigning Pierogi capital thanks to Mrs. T's Pierogi, and let's not forget the Spiedi Fest!

But there is darker side to all this food and festivity. Where do the ingredients come from to make these delicacies? The come from Walmart, Sam's Club, SYSCO and Maines. The are trucked in to our local grocery stores from countries all over the world. The ingredients have become so bland, so flavorless, that sometimes I wonder if many of people eating these foods would like them if they were made the way the originally were...with produce, meats and cheeses raised right on the farm outside the kitchen door.

Last year we made the decision to make our small Farm as sustainable as possible, but our primary goal was to ensure that our products remained not only naturally grown but ethically grown. Following Slow Food USA's RAFT ( Renewing America’s Food Traditions Alliance) model we planned, developed and established our farm. Our chickens and ducks are pastured raised and supplemented with organic feed. Our birds are Heritage breeds in need of preservation and listed with the Livestock Breeds Conservancy.They are given comfortable shelter and treated with kindness and respect. They in turn provide us with eggs of a quality most adults and children in the area have never experienced. The yolks are vividly colored, the whites clear and clean, not opaque and cloudy. Our vegetables and herbs are tended to with care, and we recycle and compost to make use of the nutrients that remain and return them to the soil. I wonder at times if many of our local children know that a tomato should smell like a tomato, and that the most delicious of melons do have seeds. I wonder if the younger members of our community know that sometimes vegetables aren't perfectly formed and that saving seeds and nurturing them to life the following spring is one of life's greatest rewards. Nothing feels as good, or gives as much satisfaction as knowing that you are nourishing your child's body with foods that you have grown yourself. Not only can you feel good about eating, but you can feel good about supporting your neighborhood farmer, your community and the earth and animals.

I have mentioned several times that I am a member of Slow Food USA, and that I am actively seeking five dedicated community members who share my point of view to begin a Convivium here in the Greater Binghamton area. Slow Food USA is part of the International Slow Food movement which compliments my personal mantra, "Live slow...Live well". Take the time to smell the tomatoes, know where your eggs come from and enjoy the bounty that can come from your own back yard. Slow Food USA feels the same way and I am pleased to support this organization. I am committed to reintroducing our area with its culinary past and rebuilding a dynamic farm to home connection and getting families back into the kitchen and enjoying food the way it is supposed to taste, and feel.

In addition to the proposed Convivium, I am planning an American Tradition's Picnic (a RAFT based Slow Food initiative) for late summer and producers, food service professionals and community members are welcome and needed. If you would like more information about joining me in a new Convivium or to join us in our American Tradition Picnic, please contact me at 607.330.2750 or by email.

Colleen is a private caterer and personal chef. She lives with her wonderful family on a tiny farm and they raise Heritage breeds of waterfowl, poultry and game birds using 100% organic farming methods and pasturing.

Colleen has a long time love of food, wine, art and design and hosts the internet’s oldest, and favorite resource for the home wine maker at HomeMadeWine.net. Her blog and websites are viewed by thousands each day who enjoy her recipes, photographs and helpful kitchen tips.

Then, of course, the "Hipster Hunting Ground" roundup of Mission shops and eats, heinous not only in name but also because it didn't include us.

And now, taking a cue from our blog post about the Victory Garden Project downtown, they've gone and claimed the story as their own. "Slow Food Savors Its Big Moment" and the NYT still really, really wants to relocate.

Sheesh! If they're not endorsing Hillary in the primaries, they're churning out this tired, slobbering tripe. Isn't The Grey Lady supposed to be the ne plus ultra in news? But if you can't get the candidates straight, and you can't figure out what the hipsters are inventing for themselves in your own freakin' city, then what can you be trusted with? Certainly not writing up a glorious, full-page spread on Gravel & Gold....

Truth be told, I'd LOVE to be riding one of those cute little scooters around town in the summer--easy, cheap, cool and cute--who could ask for more? Some time ago, I had an old Vespa scooter, and then a Honda scooter. I loved them both, scooters are cool.

So my partner and I talked about it and thought: yeah, that'd be sweet to do our West Seattle errands on the scooter, or ride to the beach...

But then I looked at my bike. That's what I use my bike for, and I LOVE my bike. Why would I switch? Plus, the bike adds the extra bonus of a little workout, and plus, it just runs on energy...no fossil fuels at all, ever. So why would I?

Time, my pal said. The Vespa would be sooo much faster and what if you had to do something in a hurry?

And then that got me to thinking about Slow Food, for some reason. I've written about Slow Food before, long time back...it's a movement out of Italy started by one guy, Carlo Petrini, who was upset about the introduction of McDonald's into the fine Italian culture and cuisine. From 65 members in 1986, the organization now has over 85,000 members worldwide and chapters in like 135 countries.

This summer an offshoot of the Slow Food movement, Slow Food Nation is having a festival in San Francisco, and really, I can't imagine anywhere I'd like to go more than to a slow food fest in SF. That would be swell. Can't do it, alas, but it would be swell.

Anyway, what's the rush? I know, I have a job too. I have a tight schedule, and all those other things. And some stuff gets sluffed off the schedule just cuz there's no time. But there's also no feeling like escaping from your desk for 45 mins where no one can find you cuz you're running errands on your bike. Clears your head, gets stuff done, and before you know it, you're back.

Come on, it's not THAT slow. A scooter, I decided, competes directly with my bike so even though that Vespa is doggone cute and would be so fun, we'll likely stick with the bike. No reason not to, not really.

We bought- spectacular fresh raspberries, fresh leeks, red skin potatoes, eggs, zucchini, summer squash, garlic, green beans organic salad mix and cucumbers.

Yesterday we had stuffed lamb and brown rice stuffed zucchini, tomato sauce and fresh salad.  Dessert was simple lightly sweetened raspberries with a bit of whipped cream.

For lunch today- I took dalaimama's (a ravelry pal) advice and made a wonderful new recipe- zucchini rosti;)  

Zucchini Rosti- ala- extreme adventures;)

3 small fresh zucchini- washed trimmed and grated

salt, pepper

A couple of table spoons diced onion

a clove of minced garlic

a teaspoon of pesto (optional)

1 fresh egg

a bit of butter for the pan.

Directions:

wash trim and grate zucchini- sprinkle with salt, mix and set aside to drain extra liquid

after a few minutes- press zucchini in a colander to remove additional extra liquid. 

Mix grated zucchini, onion, pepper, pesto together in a bowl-

heat (to medium- medium high) a non-stick fry pan and add  butter- scoop zucchini mixture into hot pan as if making pancakes. Press with flat spatula to help the zucchini stick together as a cake.  When lightly crusted and tender- flip- as second side browns- create a small divot int he pancake- break egg into the divot.  allow to steam- you may flip again if you prefer firm eggs.

serve hot with fresh bread- a great lunch- or brunch item- also- minus the egg- a terrific side dish- maybe with pasta and sauce:)

A great way to use up those zucchini!

Tonight- I'm making fresh leek and potato soup.:) Yum.

Click the photo of the above berries and it will take you to the Video...of Strawberry Pickin'

My husband, daughter and I went strawberry picking Sunday...we had our video camera along and of course she didn't miss a chance to broadcast the fun, on the Northland's NewsCenter.

Like Mother--Like Daughter. Oofta those berries were tasty. Last night I tried to make strawberry jam...today it is still not setting up. So I guess I'll have to go to plan B. Strawberry sauce!

Live is good...Live it!

I am growing alot of potatoes. Perfect harvest (10#'s for every 1 planted) would bring in just shy of 1900 lbs. As I planted alot of Yukon Gold (low yielders) and am harvesting lots of baby's, end harvest will likely be well shy of that, but I still think over 1000#'s (5:1) is very feasible. That is awesome. It also scares me. Last week I harvested a bit under 200#'s. I sold it all, which felt really good. But that also took care of everyone in our mini CSA, friends at work and family. Many bought 10-20#'s as we gave price breaks there. That also means that these people are out of the potato buying business for many weeks. And the Yukons are READY and need to come in. No root cellar can take potatoes yet, and we don't have that much fridge space.

Worry set in, so I started to look for a local resturaunt (I know I should have done that months ago...) and found that a chef in the next county started a Slow Food Chapter a year or so ago, and he is a friend of the farm owner so I gave him a call. Long story short I spent most of the morning harvesting 120#'s for him. For this week. But that isn't the half of it. We had talked price ranges on the phone. I quoted what my CSA members were paying -which is about 25% above Whole Food prices for California organic Yukons. I've seen and eaten their potatoes, and mine are significantly better. He seemed fine with that, and ordered 100#'s -plus 20#'s of my baby Carolas -which are divine.

The delivery was great -Chef Jack is a good guy in a very high end "members only" restaurant at a Yacht Club-and he gets it. We looked at the spuds, and then he looked at the invoice. I had billed him $1.25/# for the Yukons and $2/# for the Carolas which was in the range we mentioned. Then he crosses out the $1.25 and makes it $1.75. I was floored. When I stammered a question, he simply replied something like: "these are great potatoes and I don't like looking for new farmers. I'd rather pay what their worth and have them around rather than save a buck and have them shut down." Amen.  I would wager that many a Slow Food Chef has had a similar conversation with a farmer.

I love Slow Food.

-Rob

PS Again, the power of being open to your neighbors pays off. I would never have found this chef, let alone have the ground to plant on if I hadn't talked to my friends.  Talk to people -you'll be better for it!

A website called zabihah.com is helping Muslims find markets and restaurants with halal products, prepared according to Islamic dietary law.

Shahed Amanullah is strolling through the isles of Halalco, a supermarket in Falls Church, Virginia, that specialises in halal products.

At the checkout, cashiers ring up groceries from across the Muslim world.

"I'm looking for things that sort of meet my very broad palate," says Mr Amanullah.

"I've got halal-spiced sausage. I've got Persian yogurt drink, and I've got Indian chutney."

Mr Amanullah's family is originally from southern India but he was raised in California.

Growing up, there were few halal markets near his home. But he watched as the Muslim community in the US expanded over the years.

"About five or six years ago, establishments started popping up that were catering to the Muslim community," he says.

"And several friends of mine and I started to try to hunt them down, and look at them, and we were really excited when something would come up, and we would tell our friends about it.

"So I decided, wouldn't it be a great idea to establish a website to tell people about them."

Readers' views

The result is zabihah.com, a free, searchable listing of halal markets and restaurants.

Zabihah is the Arabic word for "slaughtered" in the Islamic fashion.

Meat and poultry especially must be prepared in a particular way, to conform to Islamic law.

Halal products cannot contain pork or alcohol of any kind. Animals also have to be slaughtered by a mature and pious Muslim.

The main goal of halal butchering is to avoid any cruel or unnecessary suffering on the part of the animal.

On zabihah.com, Mr Amanullah invites readers not just to rate halal establishments, but to verify their authenticity.

People who post on the site have often gone so far as to speak with a restaurant's suppliers.

"I want my readers to be the eyes and ears for all the rest of us," he says.

"Before the site, people used to just take it for granted that things were done in the proper way, but consumer tastes are becoming more discerning.

"They're demanding quality and cleanliness, they want to know if you've passed health inspections, all different kinds of things."

Mr Amanullah does get angry e-mails from owners of halal markets and restaurants, who complain about bad reviews, and sometimes they even threaten lawsuits.

Global appeal

But zabihah.com has proven popular with Muslim consumers, and not just here in the US.

The website now features listings from Muslim communities across Western Europe.

"The Muslim community in the West is a very internet-savvy community, and that's enabled them and empowered them to take the market into their own hands and make the best of it," says Mr Amanullah.

Mr Amanullah's currently running his website as a non-profit concern. He makes just enough off of advertising to pay to keep zabihah.com going.

But he is now in business school, pursuing a Masters degree. He wants to expand his website by adding more products and services, not to mention more countries.

Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production

Fresh home made ricotta

Equipment

large, heavy based pan
thermometer
heat-resistant spatula
large sieve or colander
1 m² muslin/cheesecloth
fine mesh skimmer

Ingredients

2 litres whole milk
500 ml buttermilk
1 TBS salt

Combine milks in the pan, add salt and heat steadily to 70C, running the spatula gently across the bottom to prevent sticking. Stop stirring and heat to 80C, then remove the pan from the heat and allow curds to form for 5 minutes. Then, very very gently, skim off the curds and transfer to a sieve lined with 4 layers of muslin sterilised with boiling water.

Drain for 15 minutes, then decide if the moisture content is what you were hoping for.  For a drier curd, gather up the corners of the muslin and make a bag by securing with string or a sturdy rubber band and suspend it over a drip receptacle in the fridge (some simple improvisation called for here - I used a herb drying hook but a strong spoon or knife across the shelf above would work).

Peel away the muslin for immediate use in sweet or savoury dishes; alternatively, place the ricotta in a lidded container and refrigerate but use early; it doesn't keep well although I'm told it freezes brilliantly.

So delighted to have such delectable stuff to hand we abandoned the idea of recipes entirely and savoured its snow-white tang with some chopped fresh oregano from the garden: spread over toasted slices of homemade artisan bread scraped ever-so lightly with garlic and topped with a drop or two of Alziari olive oil, it made immaculate bruschetti.

The following day ricotta spoonfuls perched prettily on top of a Menorcan vegetable soup splashed with a good and grassy Sicilian olive oil; a terrific trio.  In the picture below you can see the difference between ricotta made with two types of milk: goat's milk for the first batch is on the upper left (easier to find than sheep's) and cow's milk alone is at the lower right; I found the goat milk's texture and flavour superior to that of the cows, but both were better than any supermarket substitute.

Two essential yet priceless ingredients of ricotta are patience and gentleness, neither of which are my strengths exactly, but the process fosters a contemplative calmness. Trying too hard - stirring too much, squeezing too tight - will transmogrify the cheese into tiny, useless grains of curdled milk which may even drain away before your eyes right through the muslin, and that's a more than palatable life lesson: take it gentle, take it slow and you'll find there's nothing bitter at all about this learning experience.

 No trip to Okinawa would be complete without at least once eating goya chanploo (which probably lays claim to being the Ryukyu national dish) i.e., bitter gourd, onions, tofu and slices of pork stir-fried with egg. 

 Almost a sibling to the previous dish is raftee, which is pork belly stewed in soy sauce till it is so tender it basically falls apart.  It clearly has roots in Chinese cookery; most Cantonese restaurants serve an essentially identical dish.

 There is of course lots of fish to be had too...two types of tuna (skipjackand yellowfin) and one of my favourites, a type of venomous parrotfish known locally as irabuchaa.

 One way to eat Miyako beef, cooked just on the outside with crushed black pepper, chilled and served with sliced onion, lemon, wasabi and soy sauce.

 Miyako soba, pan-fried with squid and ditto ink.  Don't smile after eating this.

 This is the locally brewed beer, Orion.  The adventurous however, can indulge a potent and pungent distilled rice wine called awamori, which is normally served with ice and water on the side, with which the drinker mixes his drink to his own taste.  I can manage about two servings (about 350ml) before crying capivi.  Curiously, the drink is rather suited to the tropical climate as one can add as much water or ice as one pleases, to make a quite refreshing and hydrating peg; and like many of these things, never quite tastes the same when you remove it from its natural environment and drink it at home.

Fregola Sarda is traditionally served in a shellfish broth and with a surprisingly sunny afternoon putting us all in a Mediterranean mood a credible combination came to mind.  I should say here that although using both seafood and bottarga could be construed as gilding the lily - it's conventional to have either one or the other - my seafood happened to be a frozen assortment from oriental emporium Wing Yip (into which I may sneak again on Saturday) so it needed a bit of a fishy kick and bottarga put the boot in beautifully.    In this neck of the woods, if it's even possible it's pretty pricey to get hold of sparkly seafood, so I stand by my sources: not quite tradizionale, but neither travesty - it's a kind of cucina povera after all - simmer down you puritanical purists, we've got other fish to fry...

Fregola Sarda with Seafood and Bottarga

serves 4

• 3 TBS olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, sliced fine
• 4 handfuls of frozen mixed seafood (squid, mussels, octopus, prawns)
• 4 fillets frozen pollack
• 3 chopped tomatoes or 3 TBS tomato paste or 250 ml passata
• a couple of fennel stalks, if available
• a pinch of saffron if wished
• crumbled chile if you like
• 1 glass of white wine
• water or stock to top up
• 4 tsp bottarga, grated

For the fregola:

• 400-500 g fregola sarda
• 1 litre fish stock - use a cube, concentrate, whatever
• 1 TBS capers
• 2 spring onions or a small bunch of chives, chopped
• chopped fresh parsley, fennel, mint (any permutation you like)

Heat the garlic gently in the olive oil to release the fragrance, but don't allow it to brown.   Add the white white wine and tomato, bubble up then turn the heat down to a simmer.   Throw in any or all of the flavourings if using, then sit the seafood and fish fillets atop to steam; cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes or so until the fish is opaque.  If there is insufficient liquid to go round, top up with a little hot stock or water.

While the seafood is cooking, bring the fish stock to a boil in another pan then tip in the fregola.   Mine took 15 minutes to cook, but follow the instructions on your pack as different brands vary.  When cooked al dente, drain the fregola in a colander then toss with the capers and chopped herbs.

Serve in shallow bowls as in the pic above, fregola on one side, seafood on the other.  Moisten the fregola with the tomato broth and sprinkle all with a little grated bottarga - and unlike me, try to remember lemon on the side for squeezing; saving a little chopped parsley to counterbalance the lurid orange wouldn't go amiss either - buon appetito!

Footnote: this weekend's Financial Times carries an interesting article on pollack - cheap, abundant and relatively eco-friendly - with chef endorsements and some valuable cooking advice from Anthony Demetre of Wild Honey and Arbutus; worth checking out.

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Started in the nineteen-eighties by Italian food fanatic Carlo Petrini, Slow Food is a social and ecological movement that encourages “good, clean, and fair” food production and consumption. ‘Good’ means that the food tastes good and is good for our bodies; ‘clean’ means that our food is produced in an environmentally sustainable and non-toxic way; and ‘fair’ means that the growers and producers who make our food are paid a fair wage.  Although Slow Food now has organizations in one hundred and thirty-two nations around the world, it has gained a reputation for being a club for the middle-aged, social elite.   Recently, however, Slow Food has made significant strides to move away from this image through projects such as the indigenous food festival, Terra Madre, and by reaching out to younger generations who are seeking to re-embrace lost food traditions and reconnect with the environment. In 2007 Slow Food USA, launched Slow Food On Campus, an initiative to start-up Slow Food Convivia on college and university campuses.  To date there are eight Campus Convivia, one of which is here at Boston University.

Slow Food BU officially became a BU club in the Fall of 2007, and since then has been working diligently to encourage local and seasonal eating on campus. Along with getting involved in the Real Food Challenge, SFBU has been working with other student and administrative groups to encourage environmental sustainability in campus dining halls. A collaboration between SFBU, BU’s Environmental Student Organization, and BU Dining Services, called ‘Tray-less Tuesdays,” effectively limited tray use and water consumption in university dining halls. The success of this project has inspired one independently run dining hall on campus to permanently remove all trays.

In the Spring SFBU hosted “A Foodie’s Dilemma: How Boston’s Cheapskates Can Eat Sustainably,” a panel discussion about the difficulties of eating a local and organic diet on a student budget.  Because we are a convivium as well as a club, we hosted bi-monthly potlucks, where students came to learn about Slow Food.

In the upcoming year, SFBU plans to collaborate with the Nutrition Club in order to encourage further sourcing of organic food in campus dining halls.  We are also going to be involved with the new farmer’s market on our campus.

To find out more about the Slow Food movement, check out www.slowfood.com.  For more on the happenings at BU check out our SFBU blog. We look forward to keeping you up to date on our progress at BU.

Slowly yours,

Dory D

President, SFBU

La Emilia-Romagna se jacta en su publicidad de ser una de las regiones con mejor calidad de vida, colocando siete de sus provincias entre las veinte primeras del país. Un recorrido eco-gastronómico por la región permite descubrir algunas de las posibles razones de ese éxito. El paisaje expresa con insistencia la pasión agrícola y ganadera de esa gente y su vocación por la calidad. No es de extrañar que ostente el nº 1 del ranking nacional por el número de Denominaciones de Origen Protegidas (14) e Indicaciones Geográficas Protegidas (11),  ni que mientras la producción agrícola desciende en todas las regiones, aquí haya aumentado un 2,6%. Al mismo tiempo, un dato curioso para la reflexión. Mientras que la media de los italianos que leen algún libro en su tiempo libre es de un 43,8%, aquí suben al 50,6%. Ese matiz culto de los productores agrarios lo percibí con nitidez en la visita y conversaciones mantenidas en algunas de sus haciendas, un pequeño botón de muestra entre las 81.324 que hay censadas en la región. Varios botones de muestra para comprenderlo.

1)    Una conversación con Massimo Spigaroli en la Antica Corte Pallavicina. Lo que era un descampado a orillas del Po donde al lado de la osteria,  las parejas se reunían a bailar se ha convertido tras un trabajo de décadas en una empresa extraordinaria, con múltiples funciones entre las que destaca la producción artesanal de un embutido típico, el Culatello di Zibello. Viéndole preparar una de estas piezas y desgranar la historia familiar donde se entremezclaba la música de Verdi con la vida del campesinado más inquieto, luego pequeño agricultor, más tarde ingeniosa familia dedicada a los servicios –barcos para cruzar el Po y una osteria donde atender a los viajeros-, para acabar siendo propietarios de la hacienda donde hace más de cien años atrás fueron asalariados, uno comprende el germen de esta simbiosis creativa y productiva nacida en esta “tierra de abundancia” que es la llanura padana .

2)    Las aziende agroalimentarias se han visto favorecidas por una política de calidad –la región concentra en torno al 10% de la superficie y de los productores de agricultura biológica nacional- y por diversos programas públicos que han permitido la creación de rentas complementarias y la conexión directa con los consumidores vía programas de educación del gusto y educación alimentaria. El programa de Fattorie didattiche y la oferta de agroturismo son un buen ejemplo de ello. Un total de 240 empresas agroalimentarias de la región abren sus puertas a este programa educativo que acogió en 2007 a 63.000 visitantes. Educación alimentaria y de gestión que se traduce también en el fomento del producto de los alimentos certificados en hospitales y escuelas.  Un agroturismo verdaderamente recomendable se halla en Corte d’Aibo.

3)    Rutas gastronómicas y de sabores jalonan la geografía regional con propuestas que se extienden más allá del vino, al mundo del queso parmigiano reggiano, el aceto balsámico de Modena y otros alimentos. Incluyendo propuestas innovadoras como La Valle degli Asinelli e del Sapore Biologico, donde basado el turismo de comunidad, se propone un modo innovador de viaje, donde un pequeño ofrece de manera conjunta su patrimonio natural,  el sabor gastronómico, su cultura y tradiciones. El vino de uva tosca, la elaboración de harina hecha en un molino de piedra, la reserva de asnos de Gombola o la visita a la quesería Santa Rita, cooperativa dedicada a producir Parmigiano Reggiano de montaña y biológico, son algunas de las ofertas que incluye esta ruta.

4)    Restaurantes para economías modestas, estrechamente relacionados con estos productos de calidad a la hora de crear su propuesta alimentaria, vayan dos recomendaciones. La primera de ellas, la Osteria Vecchia en Guiglia, buen ejemplo de cómo una casa de comidas puede convertirse en un instrumento destacado para la divulgación y promoción del consumo de productos típicos y ecológicos. Propuesta sencilla y generosa de un emprendedor dinámico, Giovanni Montanari. La segunda cita es en el Restaurante Da Amerigo en Savigno, con más de setenta años de historia y una producción asociada de conservas y productos de huerta.

5)    Dos invitaciones culturales de última hora, ligadas a la región. En primer lugar, la reseña de KOINE, un grupo de teatro que ha escenificado y jugado con numerosos públicos en torno a la mesa, la tierra, los campesinos, los alimentos y los gastrónomos. Pura gula teatralizada de la mano de Silvio Panini, Paolo Pagliani y un elenco de colaboradores. Despedida con Slow Food que localiza en la región una de las dos sedes de la Universidad de Ciencias Gastronómicas y celebra en Bolonia el Festival Internazionale di Cinema e Cibo

Imágenes del documental WE ARE WHAT WE LOST, de Srdan Mitrovic. Menzione speciale a Slow Food on Film Festival del 2006.

Marconi-Mele, ill. Frasca, Il cioccolato: diario di un lungo viaggio, Slow Food 2008, 64 p., 16 euro.

Ghigliano-Tomatis, Il formaggio: una storia vera, anzi due, Slow Food 2008, 71 p., 16 euro

“Shortening childhood means a shortening of the time before the brain’s complete re-sculpting occurs,” says [ecologist Sandra] Steingraber. “Once that happens, the brain doesn’t allow for complex learning.”
She adds that the brain can only build the connections used to learn a language, play a musical instrument or ride a bike before it gets flooded with the sex hormones that come with the onset of puberty.

Cock of the Snook to this blog for printing Steingraber's learning science, but not for just swallowing it whole without even chewing on it a little . . .don't see a citation though surely she got this idea somewhere, and she might even have impeccable sources that would make me think twice. Without that to go on, I can mock it freeform without qualm. :)

So she's ecologist and mom but not a cognitive psychologist, right? -- nor can she speak from experience (yet) as a mother of children who've actually arrived at puberty, early or any other way, only to be tragically rendered learning disabled due to this mind-addling sex hormone flood (??)

And if puberty really makes complex learning impossible, why don't we just cancel school beyond age 10 or 11 (never mind college and grad school!) and save ourselves all the taxes and grief? Is she writing a book advocating that, now that her chemically protected, television-untouched tykes are in School all day learning only goddess knows what?

I guess we all ride our own hobby horses. For me it's so obviously our Tyranny of Time -- you know, SCHOOL and its associated SLEEP DEPRIVATION causing so many of our culture's interconnected education, family, social and health pathologies. (More on sleep research messing with learning here.) Funny to read in her own words, that this oh-so-careful mother of an ecologist isn't bothering to create an alternate ecology for her own children healthier than School.

Probably I should go back to the Teresa Heinz Kerry blog tour collection and see what we can spring forward with . . . more on that here, thinking about the "body burden" we put on women and children and also here, about educating our own "parents' palate" to help improve the health of learning environments at home and school.

UPDATE - I just decided this would make a provocative response for this fortnight's Thinking Parent essay: "Does Every Child Need to Go to College?"

As ever, Team SuperForest managed to combine good times with reporting on good efforts toward improving our environment.  They've written up a fantastic blog post about the very very exciting edible/ornamental Victory Garden installation presently underway downtown in front of City Hall.  The Victory Garden project was originally conceived by San Francisco artist Amy Franceschini, who has every intention of planting at least 15 urban organic food gardens in San Francisco this year in addition to the crown Civic Center jewel, co-sponsored by Slow Food Nation. In no time, no doubt, the hard work of transitioning "backyard, front yard, window boxes, rooftops and unused land into organic food production areas" will yield a bounty of delicious food and a more sustainable urban community for us all.

The quarter-acre "Living Quilt" garden installation downtown will be up through September. For more information on how to get involved with the project, check out the Victory Gardens 2008+ home turf.

Can't wait to see you all tonight at the shop. Merry Bastille Day!

Lorenzo Piccione di Pianogrillo, diseñador formado en Milano creó en 2007, junto a Köbi Wiesendanger, una bellísima pieza destinada a facilitar la degustación del aceite de oliva. Venido de una familia de productores de aceite de oliva en Italia, la  azienda Pianogrillo, el diseño creado para la notable colección de   Alessi, es de una belleza turbadora. La forma sutil de la aceituna, el insinuado pedúnculo y el delicado canal por donde debe discurrir el aceite de oliva se depositan sobre una hoja plateada cuyos reflejos imitan ese verde plata que inunda los días de viento en cualquier campo de olivos. Un deleite para los sentidos acorde con las emociones que la cata posterior puede provocar. Un regalo para los amantes del aceite de oliva.