MatthewB

I'd agree with you, fresco. (Again, I'm thinking aloud here.) I'll reframe it this way . . . The *experience* of eating local fresh food is very different from eating food that is handled more, processed more, & travels more. How might this play into what people eat & how much they eat? Eating a just picked strawberry is very different from eating a strawberry that was picked weeks ago & shipped hundreds or thousands of miles. Eating beef via "eating a whole cow" is very different from eating only strips because one always can pick up a strip at the supermarket. Perhaps I should shut up.

Definition from here.

Given your experiences with in-season & local food, I wonder if these type of experiences are sometimes catalysts for changing the way (& what) one eats? Last spring, I joined a CSA. Having a weekly delivery from CSA impacted me in two ways: (1) I cooked a bunch of stuff in a variety of ways that I wouldn't otherwise, and (2) I appreciated the food very differently than I did the same items picked up at the grocery. Is it possible that a major factor in this issue might be between the poles of "fresh, local, & in season" and "large agri-business"? Simplistic? Perhaps, but you have to start somewhere. (Note: I would never claim that following this route could solve obesity. Exercise, moderate intake, etc. are critical factors.)

fresco, First, I'm not trying to hijack your thread. Second, I'm playing with a hypothesis. I've no particular argument that I'm willing to defend. So . . . I'm not suggesting a "Luddite" approach of "let's all return to farming." (I saw it, I did it. And I ran at 18.) However, I wonder about the effects of the reduction of farmers. For instance, it's generally agreed that there were profound consequences due to the shift from "the country to the city" in the 18th & 19th centuries (we're talking Europe here) via the Industrial Revolution. Given the shift--over the last 70 years or so--from "the farmer to the knowledge worker" (very loose concept, I know, play along please), I wonder about the effects on our eating. Thoughts? Edit: macrosan said . . . Agreed. That's why I'm going in the direction that I am.

fresco, Do you think that the desire to reduce obesity by aiming at fast food might be missing the root causes? I wonder, and it is wondering at this point, about the effects of our removal from food production. Many people cannot purchase nor afford fresh & local food. (Somewhat related, I believe, is decline of farming as an occupation. My grandparents (both sides) & my parents all farmed. Little to no farming by any of their offspring.) Thoughts?

Ya know . . . Steven's original post for this thread didn't denote to which form of appetite he was referring. So . . . How's your sexual appetite given this weather?

Call ahead, make reservations, & note that you'll be dining alone as you so want to enjoy the experience. They may pay you some special attention. (I hear Keller does this with all solo diners at FL.)

I finally downloaded pics from my camera . . .

That would be so fun!

Yup. Hot spicy stuff cools the body. Sweat production, etc.

Groovy glasses, Mrs. B.

Yes. The evening routine is less food, a glass of wine, a few glasses of water, a little food. Some reading & then a beer.

That post is a good example of what I have in mind for this thread. Carry on.

Okay, I think the sobs (errr, I mean snobs) are gone. Carry on with the beer discussion, please.

64 in the bedroom in this weather gives new meaning to the phrase "under the covers."

You've got Uma in your refrigerator? Naw. But the window unit air conditioner went in the bedroom last night. The bedroom is now at 64 degrees. Nippy.

Keep it coming, folks. My intent with this thread was to start a summer-long thread that focuses on the situation/experience of digging around to find & drink that *last* beer in the fridge. But if you want to use this thread to brag about your beer stock, feel free. (Just be prepared for numerous & various Uma interventions. )

Nope. But it was so hot last night that I really wanted a beer & I didn't feel like running out. So I dug around & *that* showed up. (I don't drink beer in winter either, so that was a factor.) So, I'll pick up some Red Stripe later today.

Given the hot weather, I thought this might be an interesting thread. What was the last beer in your fridge & when did you drink it? Corona Light leftover from last summer. (Who the hell brought that over? ) 24 June @ 10:30 PM. Tasting note: I hope never to drink one of these again.

Chardonnay 1998. Bouchaine Vineyards. Napa Valley (Carneros). I picked up a case of this on a distributor closeout. (Case at $6/bottle.) With the hot weather here, this is a lovely white with a lightly oaked nose. Tastes run more toward Riesling than one would expect for a California chardonnay. Given that, I'd recommend this wine even as an aperitif. (Note: I rarely drink Cali chards & I prefer light oaking.) A steal at $6/bottle.

I wonder what Dorothy Parker would say about that?

What's the estimated finishing date? Yesterday. Good work.

What about a Gewurztraminer with a hot & spicy dish?

Jason, Have you checked out the Big Green Egg? I'd be interested in hearing about this in relation to Kamado. (Someday I'd like to replace my Weber Smokey Mountain with one of these two.)

Amazon carries the Le Creuset Poterie line. (I prefer Emile Henry, FWIW.)