Food for Thought

I started to write a completely different post, but if I wanted to share all of my thoughts on food, and the food industry today, I would need a book. Instead, here is a glimpse.

My mother had the week's menu planned out, every week, without fail. In this regard, I am not like my mother. Food preparation and consumption in our household is more unstructured, particularly in the summer and fall when our choices are most abundant. This doesn't mean we don't plan what we're eating. Often times, dinners will piggy back on each other (the left over chicken we roast on Sunday will be used in fajitas on Thursday). We have settled more into the spontaneity of the season . Find a source of protein, find a carbohydrate, find some vegetables. Usually, the carbohydrate is the hardest part to come up with.

My mother also did one major grocery store shopping trip each week. I remember going with her on many occasions and it was surprising how fast the cart would fill up to feed a family of five. In this regard as well, I am not like my mother. I don't think I've used a cart (unless I have to pick up something large like charcoal or a package of paper towels) since I moved to the farm. If I can't fit it into a hand basket, I don't really need it...immediately. I also tend to go to several different grocers to complete a shopping list, because each vendor has its particular niche.

So, how do such frequent, small trips make my life simpler? Simpler does not mean more efficient. Nor does it mean more convenience. Simpler means everything that is done is done with intent or meaning. I will purchase my loaf of bread from Alice, my aged New York cheddar from Shirley, and the rest of my groceries from Ellen. Sometimes, I may go to the supermarket if Ellen is closed or if I need an item like paper towels. I will take my time, catch up on the local intrigue, and not get flustered because there are no mobs of discontented people surrounding me. I will not waste fifteen minutes in aisle 12 agonizing over which brand of bread to buy, getting sucked in by all the advertising gimmicks because the choice has really been narrowed down to three options (white, wheat or a French loaf). I will not feel like a cow getting corraled as I wait in line. I will not have to succumb to the restlessness of those around me needing to be somewhere at some point too near in the future. Instead, I will find all the customer help I need since Ellen, Alice and Shirley all know me and they all know the products in their stores. And I know that the products they sell are those that were produced with integrity. When I went to France as a student in 1995, I remember doing the shopping with my host family and visiting several different establishments to find everything on the list. At the time it didn't make sense to me. Now it does.