Slow foodie.
I've been on a Michael Pollan kick lately, having just finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. I love his guide to eating:
01
Pay more, eat less. Good food is not cheap. Like most other things, you get what you pay for. And, in most cheap foods, their true costs to society are hidden. If you have no idea what I'm talking about but wish you did, then read this book. It's good for you.
02
Eat meals. No, not Happy Meals.
03
Do all your eating at a table. Desks do not count as tables, people. Nor do dashboards in cars.
04
Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does. Ummm, yeah. All I can think about are those scenes in Wall-e. Remember all those fat people, riding around in their space-age Lazy Boys with soft drinks being intravenously delivered? I see premonitions of this at Union Station in the summer when all the obese American tourists descend on the capital, walking around with their venti caramel frappuccinos, extra whipped cream for breakfast. It's kind of scary.
05
Try not to eat alone. Eat with your dog or cat if you must. In general, pets are better company than most people, anyway.
06
Consult your gut. When you feel full, stop stuffing your cake hole!
07
Eat slowly. Sloooooow fooooooood. Get it?
08
Cook, and if you can, plant a garden. Or, shop at the farmer's market. Not Whole Foods, not Safeway, not Costco. Food that is shipped thousands of miles from the farm to your plate is not slow food. Like this bag of coffee beans pictured above. I had these beans shipped to Baltimore from San Francisco mainly because I don't like the taste of the local beans I've found here (these Ritual beans were, of course, shipped to SF first from Ethiopia or maybe South America – man, that totally fucks it all up). Obviously, these beans are not slow food. I'm ashamed to think of how much fossil fuel was required to get these beans to my house. But DAMN. ARE THEY GOOD.
There is another local roaster I'm going to try, though. Bluebird Artisanal Coffee. I like their logo. I like the word "artisanal" used to describe food. Therefore, this looks promising….
And finally, his manifesto: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. (And a little chocolate, espresso, and gelato – my addendum).
Bon appétit! Buon appetito!