I was not raised kosher, in fact I wasn’t even raised Jewish. I grew up eating everything. I chose to become a Jew out of love, and I have never stopped loving this people that I chose. But sometimes they drive me crazy.
I love food, and I love to cook. I could not, cannot, and will not limit myself to those food groups permissible in Leviticus. As a friend of mine says, “Halacha is not my thing.”
My kitchen is clean and organized, like my mother’s. I have attachments to many implements and cooking utensils, e.g. my grandmother’s spatula, my father’s cherry cutting board, the patina on a vintage 8-inch cast iron frying pan. I could go on.
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Next week, Hazon’s staff is heading out to Fire Island with a van full of organic vegetables. Those readers who are familiar with Hazon might not be too surprised by this statement. But the circumstances of this particular trip are pretty extraordinary. What are we doing?
We’re going cleansing.
Over the last two years, Hazon’s ED, Nigel, has attended two “nourishment cleanses” - both held on the beautiful Mediterranean shores of Turkey and led by nourishment consultant and educator, Hale Sofia Schatz.
Okay, I know that last sentence might have been a lot to swallow. But I promise it will make more sense as you keep reading…
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If you’re in the NY area, Join Hazon for Bike to the Beach
Ride your road bike, hybrid, mountain bike, penny farthing, recumbent, tandem bike, or unicycle to Coney Island from 10 starting points around NYC:
Westchester * Fort Lee Park, NJ * Riverdale * Queens * Upper East Side * Upper West Side * Lower East Side * Brooklyn
Or join us at the beach for music, fresh watermelon and other snacks, learning and a dip in the ocean.
June 24, 2007 - details at www.hazon.org
Check out these great excerpts from a photo essay entitled, What the World Eats, from the book, Hungry Planet, by photographer (and fellow tribesman?) Peter Menzel.
And if you’re ever confused about what blessing to say when encountering a new food, you can use this new handy gadget, from The Jewish Learning Group!
Tomorrow, June 6, 2007 - the Jewish-Muslim internet radio station Radio Salam Shalom is hosting a live debate about food, science, and what is “fit” to eat. The debate will focus on genetic modification and will feature Michael Green of the Soil Association and Dr. Majid Katme of London’s Islamic Medical Forum and a member of the GM Freeze campaign.
Tune in / log on: 2pm EST (7pm UK / 9pm Israel) at www.salaamshalom.org.uk
My friend sent me a card the other day with this quote on it:
We have not inherited the world from our ancestors. We are borrowing it from our children.
It is a remarkable thought because it shifts our view of history from a series of events culminating in the crowning glory of this present life, to a vision of an even better future, for which our lives are the foundation.
For some reason it is difficult for us to plan ahead, though, to plan our present with a mind for what we hope for in the future. I remember when I was first organizing events at Hazon and we wanted to have them listed in the JCC calendar. An event taking place in June needed a blurb, title and date by the previous December, and I was incredulous at the lead time.
On a farm, the lead time is even more tangible. The entire year is a process of planning, planting and harvesting. The glimpse I’ve gotten of this in one week on this farm is quite a powerful example of how growing your own food is so cosmically grounding, and so profound an experience of Jewish life.
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Nobody can teach the secrets to making a great pie (or pasta sauce, challah or soup) like your grandma (or uncle, mom, friend…) can. By watching their hands as they knead the dough or add a little more salt to the pan, you learn valuable lessons that a recipe alone cannot teach.
The makers of Real Meals TV have created a useful database of instructional videos that take viewers step-by-step through various recipes. Right before Passover, Jcarrot linked to their matzah ball segment. But I recently found another segment that I thought was worth sharing…
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As the mark-up of the 2007 Farm Bill begins–the first two of six House sub-committees completed their mark-up of the Bill last week– I will be posting a series of updates about the Farm Bill, as I spend the summer in the thick of things interning for a national coalition working to create a Farm Bill that promotes healthy and local foods.
But first, a shameless plug: as part of the Community Food Security Coalition’s work, I am helping to organize a sign-on letter in support of these Healthy Priorities, which will be submitted to the leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee this week as part of a Dear Colleague letter from Senators Feingold and Brown.
If you are involved with an organization that is related to food, agriculture, youth, communities, farms, public health, or really any area that understands the importance of what we put into our bodies and how our tax money is used, please support of the inclusion of initiatives to ensure access to fresh, healthy and local foods for all communities in the 2007 Farm Bill by signing your organization on to the letter to the leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
PLEASE email me to sign on to the letter. For more information about the issues and efforts, visit CFSC’s Farm Bill policy page. Read more »
There are only a few days remaining to vote in the JFSJ poll to shape the upcoming Domestic Jewish Agenda. I’m very excited about this campaign for which Hazon, Isabella Freedman Retreat Center, Jdub Records, Jewcy.com, Jewish Student Press Service, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, Jews United for Justice, Jewschool.com, Moishe/Kavod House Boston, Progressive Jewish Alliance, The Shalom Center, The Tribe, VelveteenRabbi.com , and Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring are sponsors.
I’m only dissapointed that reforming our food system did not make it to the 10 issues that voters can choose from to help shape the new domestic social agenda for Jews/Jewish organizations. Does this mean that food systems will not be included in the agenda? Some might argue that food is encompassed by the “Environment” choice, but there is much that needs reform in our food system beyond its environmental implications. Perhaps someone from Hazon can clue me in to whether this was discused and why it was left out.
(cross-posted on Jewschool)
This isn’t exactly a brand-new concept, but the NYTIMES 05.25.07 feature on “Veggie Mobiles” traveling through food deserts seems like an exciting, albeit temporary and non-systemic, solution.
I’ve recently had a number of conversations about the role of the ice cream man in childhood. Despite the fact that I was privileged to grow up on a street that the ice cream truck did frequent daily, my “health nut” mother relegated actual purchases from the truck to highly rare novelties. Therefore, while I know that the concept of a vehicle driving around neighborhoods selling food isn’t exactly a comprehensive or sustainable solution to anything, I definitely see potential for “veggie mobiles” around the country, in lieu of Mr. Softee’s monopoly.
Perhaps this hasn’t been tried before, because of the common misconception that kids only like unhealthy foods, which was shattered by David Kamp’s article in Wednesday’s NYTimes Dining Section about the horrors of traditional children’s menus and a new movement towards serving children real food instead of the dreaded “fingers.” Like Kamp, I was usually given smaller portions of what everyone else was eating, and didn’t have a problem with this. In fact, with regard to exciting grown-up restaurant foods, I was always told that “my eyes were bigger than my stomach.” In addition to the more innovative children’s menus, hopefully more restaurants will follow the trend of offering half portions of regular menu items, an option I have always appreciated.
Too funny:
