Slow Food Movement

[StudentChefEclipse]

I'd love to know whether you find the Slow Food Movement to be having an effect on American food. Or is it more prevalent in Europe, and especially Italy? Most of all, do you think it's a positive force, or do you think people will take the idea of "local" cuisine too far, and lose some of the creativity of mixing, so to speak?

Thank you so much for your time here! You've been one of my inspirations over the years.

[Mimi Sheraton]

Generally, I think slow food advocates are preaching to the converted. I am not sure what they really mean by slow food either...must it take a long time to cook and be made only of local ingredients and reflect only local styles? If so, it is doomed to be nothing more than a boondoggle for those who want to go conferences in interesting places such as Torino. I am wary of such labels and especially when they are based on Mom spending more time doing more cooking..Mom doesn't have the time not that I think the right answer is chain fast food. Is an omelet fast food or slow food? Is pasta with oil and garlic fast food ro slow food? Pan-broiled steak and burgers? See what I mean?

[StudentChefEclipse]

Oh! Slow Food as opposed to McFakeFood.

Pasta with oil and garlic sounds perfectly Slow to me!

[Mimi Sheraton]

But it's what I consider fast..so time is not what we are talking about, is it? Ditto an omelet. I think you;ve got something in McFake....

[Hiroyuki]

I don't know much about slow food, but there is a similar concept in Japan, chisan chisho, which means local production for local consumption.

Food safety is one of the reasons why chisan chiso is promoted throughout the country.

A site providing an general description of chisan chisho:

http://www.nh-hft.co.jp/english/slowfood.html

Edited October 1, 2004 by Hiroyuki (log)

[Geetha]

I think it is difficult to state what others mean to say when they are refering to slow food, is it the cooking time or is it the preparation method of using local bought ingredients in which case gourmet food should be thrown off board, or else is it a technique like slow cooker, .

I have something to add in favour of slow cooked food as it s very satisfying to me over the years and today too and therefore holds relevance in my life yet.

I've never ever been trained to receive fast sort'a food as good nevertheless I've liked fast food But the ever present need to cook for satisfaction has done great deal to my culinary skills and I ve built a repertoire of facts from which I draw to cook some of my meals. First is to use a set of fresh ingredients, and some stored items for convenience, in the end an unease does mean I don't enjoy to cook in the result.

Second I've gleaned a bit of knowledge of some age old techniques like existing use of medicinal effects of food, and try to keep it to a certain level in food, resulting in the most satisfying taste combinations . Lastly I learnt that there is a logic behind the aspect of slow cooking taking lot of time doesn't mean your presence on-site, soups for instance and slow cooked meals on various cookers available in stores, and in the end resulting in taste satisfaction.

All of the above I love. Is complemented bt the fact that ayurveda talks of the technique of using of water boiled to certain level and times caused clearance in our body, that indeed piques me in using the slow food cooking style.

All this time I am not aware of the meaning of slow cooking but only giving an elabourate version of my own. Hope it helps all.

Geetha

[Mimi Sheraton]

It certainly give one something to chew on...and I will do that. Thanks Geetha

[Geetha]

Thank you for saying things that indeed inspire me more.

With Great Regards

Geetha

[Rien]

I have not read any of the Slow Food books so I cannot speak for their theory or practice, but I think the concept of "slowness" can be fleshed out without their guidance. There are a couple of issues that will confuse without a little disentanglement. First, there is the cumulative time involved in the production of a food item or meal; second, there is the experience of time. Both of these have a relative aspect to them. Taking the pasta al'olio example, I'll see if I can make any sense.

Consider the cumulative time involved in creating a perfect pasta al'olio. Hard durum wheat must be grown, preferably organically. Developing a good farm and a good crop takes time and the year to year accumulation of knowledge, an intellectual and experiential communion with land and season ... duration. The wheat must be ground, most likely in a non-industrial mill, perhaps by stone. Paste is laboriously made, slowly extruded through bronze dies, dried at low heat over a period of 40 or 50 hours. Craftsmanship handed down through generations comes into play. Olives are hand harvested by estate growers ... closely observed and plucked from gnarled branches that, perhaps, have seen a century pass. Oil extraction without heat or chemical, a careful crush. Organic garlic is purchased from a farmer's market ... contemplate different varieties - purple stripe, porcelain, purple star, and their variable hues, red and brown. The rocambole's sweetness and bite are a good choice. Mincing the garlic, slowly coloring it to gold, the scent circulating through house. There's an accumulation of time here that differs radically from an industrial product. It is relative; growing wheat, even at industrial farms, takes months.

There is also an experiential difference; almost an appreciation of passing time - engagement with the process, concern and focus - rather than a regret, a sense of time as an input cost - the focus on an endpoint, a quantitative analysis rather than qualitative. Mincing garlic or a garnish of parsley is too much trouble for many. Think, for example, of the different mentality of one who buys Latini pasta and makes pasta al'olio versus those who buy industrial pasta and dump jarred tomato sauce on it, garnished with green-can parmesan. The time necessary for appreciation is excised - it, more than the products involved, costs too much.

After the long ramble, I come back to this: slowness is a relative assessment of cululative time and the phenomenon of time passing.

Does this make any sense?

Thanks for listening.

rien

[Mimi Sheraton]

It makes sense for those of us lucky enough to have time to contemplate metaphysically..but for a Mom trying to get dinner on the table after a day's work, it might be discouraging..one might make the same case for all of the steps and operations and materials that go into mass-produced pasta...after all, wheat has to grow and be milled for that too, workers must get to factories, wheels must turn and gears be oiled, boxes made and delivered to stores, clerks must stack and check-out....and so on for all other ingredients in aglio-olio. Just because something is bad, doesn't mean it was easy to make...that's the saddest part to me....

[StudentChefEclipse]

For me, what resonates most about the Slow Food Movement http://www.slowfoodusa.org is that we need to be conscious of what we eat and a bit about how it gets there. The point is not to settle for tasteless, agribusiness food just because it may be more convenient. Around our house, we make "Slow" meals from ingredients we can find in shops around here, and the meals are easy and quick to make and actually taste like something.

But yes, I suspect that they may be preaching to the choir. But the choir has openings for new members.

[Mimi Sheraton]

I think you've got it right..are you related to my friend, colleague and neighbor,Calvin?

[chromedome]

It makes sense for those of us lucky enough to have time to contemplate metaphysically..but for a Mom trying to get dinner on the table after a day's work, it might be discouraging.

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Mimi, I work two jobs (cooking) and do some freelancing on the side, and when I get home I still cook for my family. It's not generally something that takes a long time to prepare, but it's not usually frozen or pre-processed either. I'm not dogmatic...if I can get a good deal on something non-local I'll buy it...but as and where possible I buy local (better yet, organic local). My cooking tends to follow seasonal cycles for the simple reason that I can't afford a lot that's not cheap and in season!

Admittedly I'm a little more food-obsessed than most. But I do recall an impassioned article on the Slow Food website from an Italian writer who said, to paraphrase, "News Flash! Italians have jobs too!"

[daniellewiley]

It makes sense for those of us lucky enough to have time to contemplate metaphysically..but for a Mom trying to get dinner on the table after a day's work, it might be discouraging..one might make the same case for all of the steps and operations and materials that go into mass-produced pasta...after all, wheat has to grow and be milled for that too, workers must get to factories, wheels must turn and gears be oiled, boxes made and delivered to stores, clerks must stack and check-out....and so on for all other ingredients in aglio-olio. Just because something is bad, doesn't mean it was easy to make...that's the saddest part to me....

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While working on an article, I asked Patrick Martins, the former President of Slow Food USA about this same issue. I am a working mom with limited time to cook, and I was feeling guilty about not spending hours at the stove, etc. He expressed frustration with the fact that people like me are feeling guilty as a result of the Slow Food Movement, and explained that Slow Food is not about rigid dogma. It is about thinking a little bit more about where food comes from, and about making better choices when possible.

[Carrot Top]

Slow Food is not about rigid dogma. It is about thinking a little bit more about where food comes from, and about making better choices when possible.

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That is what my understanding of the 'movement' is, also, Danielle.

It is more a philosophy of food, a gathering of ideas for consideration...on how 'we' and 'food' relate in natural, caring, connected, and 'real' (in terms of

where food actually comes from, which is not a can or a plastic package) ways and terms.

The philosophy encompasses the notion of not just taking and eating...but of thinking in a heartfelt way about what is going into the mouths of you and your loved ones (and hopefully anyone else, too, that is not included in this 'loved ones' category!).

It is about grace and thankfullness and giving back, in a internal emotional sense...to the food and all that surrounds it....what it has given to you.

Not a bad idea, seems to me.

But as with all good philosophies, not always easy to implement...but worth striving for if the idea appeals to you.

[Mimi Sheraton]

That is what my understanding of the 'movement' is, also, Danielle.

It is more a philosophy of food, a gathering of ideas for consideration...on how 'we' and 'food' relate in natural, caring, connected, and 'real' (in terms of

where food actually comes from, which is not a can or a plastic package) ways and terms.

The philosophy encompasses the notion of not just taking and eating...but of thinking in a heartfelt way about what is going into the mouths of you and your loved ones (and hopefully anyone else, too, that is not included in this 'loved ones' category!).

It is about grace and thankfullness and giving back, in a internal emotional sense...to the food and all that surrounds it....what it has given to you.

Not a bad idea, seems to me.

But as with all good philosophies, not always easy to implement...but worth striving for if the idea appeals to you.

Amd if tastes good....

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[jayt90]

"I'd love to know whether you find the Slow Food Movement to be having an effect on American food. Or is it more prevalent in Europe, and especially Italy? Most of all, do you think it's a positive force, or do you think people will take the idea of "local" cuisine too far, and lose some of the creativity of mixing, so to speak?"

In my day to day job, I sell a large number of Crock Pots. Enough to put a small dent in the amazing amount of frozen entrees and junk food that goes through the store. The buyers of these Rivals, and my co-workers, tell me that they get very good family dinners by setting up the crock in the morning, with frozen or refrigerated ingredients. Even Paula Wolfert likes the crock.

As long as a working home maker has time to set up the evening meal in the morning, the hungry family will have something worthwhile in the evening.

It is interesting, that Paula reports that many middle eastern women use a pressure cooker during the week, and slow cook pottery on the weekend!

[Carrot Top]

Yes, "and if it tastes good".

A philosophy that involves food would not be worth its salt without invoking the sensual marvels of tastiness!

[andiesenji]

When I first began reading and listening to people talk about the slow food movement, it mostly referred to getting away from dependence on produce that is modified to be more easily harvested with machinery rather than people, modifed to hold up longer in shipping, and with the result of a pretty but tasteless product in which appearance rather than substance is important in marketing.

The advocates also feel it is important to support local small farmers who maintain heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables that do not conform to the requirements of the mass marketing conglomerates and which ultimately maintain a base upon which one can fall back in the event of a catastrophic loss of major modified crops due to attack by insects, pathogens or ????

The more dependent we are on factory farming of single, modified and non-reproducing hybrid crops, the more chance there is of widespread famine if these crops are destroyed by some either accidental or deliberate introduction of something that can decimate the crop over a wide area.

I believe the term may have confused a lot of people because some thought it referred to preparation of foods but some traditional foods can be prepared rapidly, so using it as opposed to "fast food" is not exactly correct.

I think it means that before leaping ahead into unknown territory with the production of our foodstuffs, we have to take a step back and make sure we have a safe and secure foundation to which we can retreat if there is such a problem as widespread loss of food crops on factory farms.

I may be in error, and have misunderstood the basic principals but this is the gist of what I have picked up on various discussions both on line and in groups.

[Fat Guy]

I tend to echo Mimi's suspicions about the hidden agendas and consequences, intended or not, of the Slow Food approach. Certainly there is a need for technology in agriculture -- the world can't be fed without it -- and dogmatic fidelity to tradition inevitably takes its greatest toll on those who traditionally have been oppressed: women, the poor, and ethnic minorities to name a few.

Most dogmatically inclined organizations, moreover, follow the predictable pattern of telling the moderates that they're not dogmatic and telling a completely different story internally to core supporters. Slow Food does some terrific things: the effort to catalog and preserve species and recipes, the guidebooks, the events, and the general defense of quality and sensuality in cuisine. But Slow Food is also at its core, despite weak protestations to the contrary, the culinary wing of the anti-globalization movement, with strong anti-agribusiness, anti-chains, anti-corporate, ecological, staunchly traditionalist, and other agendas. Some agree with these agendas and some don't, and of course there is a range of opinions in between -- but I think supporters and opponents alike can agree that it is a questionable practice for Slow Food to try so hard to avoid admitting what its agendas are, and instead to portray itself as just being warm, fuzzy, and about enjoyment of food and thinking a little more about it. Certainly, most members of Slow Food think that's what the movement is about. And Slow Food USA is clearly less ideological in this regard than the parent organization. But I think it's unfortunate that at its core an organization that does a lot of good work and provides a lot of enjoyment to gastronomes has an agenda that it doesn't seem to want its members to focus on.

[Carrot Top]

That is an excellent and thorough analysis of the more 'global' aspects of what the Slow Food movement initiators are up to, I think, FG.

And the Italians who write about these things are more ardent and pushy about 'what should be done'... but that may be due to a cultural style of expression perhaps.

(And it is also a way to grab attention for a food 'movement' in a country and in an environment -Europe- where most people have a good knowledge and their own educated ideas about food...and who really have no great personal impetus in listening to anyone else tell them anything about it!)

It does not seem truly feasible that (if the core goals are as you perceive them to be) , these goals will be able in reality to be furthered too much in the realities of this agri-business world we live in, and eat by and that some, if it were not here, would go truly and in actuality hungry from lack of its existence.

The philosophy has some good things to offer in ways of looking at things, but I can not see this movement becoming mainstream. I wonder if there is anybody out there that truly does believe this could? Would be interested to hear the how's and why's, if so...just for another exposure to thought.

[Mimi Sheraton]

Well, it never hurts to try and even if only a few become aware, that's a help..I suspect what is really on the Italians' minds is the selling of olive oil, cheese, etc. It usually comes down to that..and natural (!) wine.

But not even average Italians are listening. Women there work also and pick up take-out or an equivalent..or eat some convienence food..the real challenge is to get good quality, honest, convenience and take-out foods..then one can cook when there is time and eat well and conveniently when there is not...that is what is happening here right now..I think what bothers me most about the Slow Food Movt. is the moralistic aspects....I also must reiterate...bad food can take as much time to prepare as good food....It is not slow food we should be trying for, but good food.