#975 Slow Food Thinking

I was watching 60 Minutes the other night. They had this story about a lady who is at the head of the “slow food” movement. They advocate spending more time preparing your food, using organic ingredients and shopping from local farms to get the freshest possible flavor.
The 60 Minutes commentator told the slow movement lady that she had been labeled as elitist. “But,” the slow food lady replied, “I think everyone should eat organic.”
And I’m sorry, but the tone was not unlike a certain French culinary commentator suggesting the masses eat cake.
Still, I agree with a lot the lady said. Organic is better. Who knows what residues of what chemicals are causing cancers and other health problems? The government can’t even control peanuts, what’s the pesticide lobby slipping thorough?
And I have long been an advocate of taking the time to cook your meals at home rather than going out to restaurants. Where coincidentally, the service is often so poor, the food is slow and I might as well be cooking at home.
Part of my home cooking ethos is motivated by cheapness, and the other part is motivated by the theory that the more time you spend cooking and cleaning up, the more calories you burn off from the meal you are about to eat.
But this lady took it too far. She wouldn’t have a microwave, she said rather haughtily, and then proceeded to roast an egg over a open wood fire oven she had in her kitchen.
Excuse me, wood fire?
So how many of those could the average city support before we were all keeling over from air pollution?
Microwaves may use power, and that power may come from a coal burning plant. But at least the coal plant has some emission standards. An open wood fire belches all kinds of greenhouse gases and particulates into the atmosphere. That’s why we have burn bans.
Not too mention leveling all those forests.
So lady, find another way to roast your egg. In trying to get us to think about slow food, you’re the one that’s done some slow thinking.
America, ya gotta love it.