I live in a house in Brooklyn that has three apartments and four adult residents (plus baby C who recently joined us). In this house, we make beer (apt. #1), pickles (apt. #2) and sourdough bread of all sorts (apt. #3). We like to call ourselves the House of Fermentation, a phrase coined by the baker in apt. #3. I think it suits us well.
The four of us are all also enthusiastic cooks. We leave small treats for each other in the hall or stop by with freshly made bites or ingredients--a bowl of squash soup, a loaf of bread, decadent chocolate mousse, fuchsia beet dip, spiced nuts, cocktail cookies, or even a bounty of winter greens fresh from a Brooklyn garden.
We also entertain regularly in some fashion or other from cocktail parties to summer barbecues in the back yard to culinary how-tos with small groups of friends. This is such a Brooklyn situation that I am almost embarrassed by the cliche. (Yes, I am tattooed, I make pickles, and I have a home bar with a menu that includes a Pickled Ramp Martini and an Ironic Manhattan. Stop by anytime and I will make you a drink. You think I am saying this for the sake of blog hospitality, but it is in fact, true.)
We not only reside in a gastronomically creative house, but we also live in a community that is thriving with healthy and delicious food choices. There is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with a pick up close-by, and we are a short bike ride from the weekly Grand Army Plaza greenmarket at the top of Prospect Park. We also have Fleisher's about a mile away on 5th Avenue, which is a great source of grass-fed local meat and cooking tips.
I sit here now sipping a Greenpoint and munching on almond-rosemary cocktail cookies. While I do that I'm thinking about the great dinners I've had since joining the Brooklyn-based community supported fishery, Mermaid's Garden. The stone crab claws (right) came pre-steamed and packed with sweet flesh. And just last night apt. #1 and I fired up the grill for the first time this year to cook a swordfish steak and two dozen lovely pink shrimp. We ate the seafood with two dipping sauces, fresh whole wheat bread, and a side dish of spicy zucchini with pine nuts.
It was the type of meal that makes me feel incredibly fortunate, which brings me to the real point of this week's post... With all the time that I've had at home (thanks to my broken toe), I have not only been eating enormous amounts of good food, but I've been watching movies. And, last weekend, I watched "A Place at the Table"--the new documentary featuring, Jeff Bridges, Marion Nestle, and Tom Colicchio, among others. The film explores the causes of hunger and food insecurity in the US--a problem that has grown exponentially in the last few decades. The film looks at hunger through expert interviews and the stories of affected communities.
I've known about this issue, but I was surprised to learn that hunger had been all but eradicated in the US during the 1970s through the implementation of food-focused policies and public programs. During the "Reagan years," many of these programs were eliminated and have not been re-established despite the increasing need. The number of food banks, soup kitchens and other like charities has increased substantially since that time, but while these organizations provide an invaluable service, they are not designed to create long-term solutions.
With this in mind, Wellness in the Schools is the UG cause of the month. The organization "inspires healthy eating, environmental awareness and fitness as a way of life for kids in New York City’s public schools." Of course, the problem is much more complicated than what happens during the school day; many parents can't afford to make healthy choices when buying food. But making tasty, healthy food part of the everyday school day does have great value that extends beyond the lunchroom.
To learn more, you can rent the film on Amazon or iTunes. The film's website also has a take action page where you can send an email to your legislators and search for local organizations to support. (And, if you're a canner, you should read this great post from Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen.)
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| Greens grown in Brooklyn--a late-winter surprise. |
We also entertain regularly in some fashion or other from cocktail parties to summer barbecues in the back yard to culinary how-tos with small groups of friends. This is such a Brooklyn situation that I am almost embarrassed by the cliche. (Yes, I am tattooed, I make pickles, and I have a home bar with a menu that includes a Pickled Ramp Martini and an Ironic Manhattan. Stop by anytime and I will make you a drink. You think I am saying this for the sake of blog hospitality, but it is in fact, true.)
We not only reside in a gastronomically creative house, but we also live in a community that is thriving with healthy and delicious food choices. There is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with a pick up close-by, and we are a short bike ride from the weekly Grand Army Plaza greenmarket at the top of Prospect Park. We also have Fleisher's about a mile away on 5th Avenue, which is a great source of grass-fed local meat and cooking tips.
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| Stone crab claws from Mermaid's Garden CSF |
It was the type of meal that makes me feel incredibly fortunate, which brings me to the real point of this week's post... With all the time that I've had at home (thanks to my broken toe), I have not only been eating enormous amounts of good food, but I've been watching movies. And, last weekend, I watched "A Place at the Table"--the new documentary featuring, Jeff Bridges, Marion Nestle, and Tom Colicchio, among others. The film explores the causes of hunger and food insecurity in the US--a problem that has grown exponentially in the last few decades. The film looks at hunger through expert interviews and the stories of affected communities.
I've known about this issue, but I was surprised to learn that hunger had been all but eradicated in the US during the 1970s through the implementation of food-focused policies and public programs. During the "Reagan years," many of these programs were eliminated and have not been re-established despite the increasing need. The number of food banks, soup kitchens and other like charities has increased substantially since that time, but while these organizations provide an invaluable service, they are not designed to create long-term solutions.
To learn more, you can rent the film on Amazon or iTunes. The film's website also has a take action page where you can send an email to your legislators and search for local organizations to support. (And, if you're a canner, you should read this great post from Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen.)
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