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Animal, Vegetable, Miracle…

by · May 14th, 2007
Books, Seasonality

That’s the title of Barbara Kingsolver’s (author of The Poisonwood Bible) new book.  Kingsolver and her family left their life of familiarity and convenience, for a year-long journey into the world of local eating.

The NYTimes review writes: ”This meant no snack foods, no processed ones, no cucumbers from warmer parts of the world. “Six eyes, all beloved to me, stared unblinking as I crossed the exotics off our shopping list, one by one,” Ms. Kingsolver writes about the family’s adjustment to these strictures. With the exceptions of olive oil, grains and spices, everything they ate was simple and in season.”

Kingsolver is certainly not the first adventurous person to attempt (and report back about) a year-long local eating experiment.  Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon wrote about their own 100-mile diet experience in their book Plenty.  But Kingslover’s beautiful way with prose is sure to make this account of local eating a true pleasure.

 Read the NYTimes review here.

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7 Responses to “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle…”

  1. Carly Says:
    May 15th, 2007 at 9:04 am

    Kingsolver’s new book is already on my wish list! Not sure when I’ll be able to get to it, but I’m looking forward to reading it.

  2. Elisheva Says:
    May 15th, 2007 at 9:44 pm

    I actually had the pleasure of hearing Barbara Kingsolver read from her new book at the beginning of her promotion tour. She was inspiring! but as my friend and I left, we were both feeling high and low at the same time.

    it seems so hard to introduce food ideals in the orthodox world. aside from the matter of social eating norms, there is also the real problem of finding kosher happy milk and meat products.

    sure, since hearing Ms Kingsolver speak, and reading her book, I’ve made some real changes in our vegetable eating! and there’s plenty more room for improvement! but where are the conscientious kosher milk/meat eaters out there? how can we make a change?

  3. Leah Koenig Says:
    May 16th, 2007 at 8:45 am

    Elisheva,

    I don’t think you’re alone in your desire for ethical kosher milk/meat. I just think that the supply hasn’t yet caught up with the demand, which is beginning to percolate. Like the “secular” ethical foods movement, it will take consistent pressure and encouragement from interested consumers to those people in charge of the OU and other kosher-certifying agencies to start backing companies that source foods from ethically-raised, organically-fed animals.

    It will also take the work of creative companies and individuals. Two examples to give you hope:

    Wise Organic Pastures – doubly certified kosher and organic/humanely-raised poultry and beef. http://www.wiseorganicpastures.com

    Kosher Conscience – this is still in the works, but there’s a great guy in NY, Simon Feil, who is working to start ethical-kosher meat co-ops. Read about it here:

    http://menachemmendel.blogspot.....ience.html

  4. Elisheva Says:
    May 16th, 2007 at 4:32 pm

    Leah, thanks so much for those contacts.

    please note that the Wise poultry is free-range, which I read to mean: running around freely in an overcrowded barn. while this is way superior to typically farmed chickens, the chickens aren’t pasture-fed, or necessarily seeing the light of day, ever.

    so I’ll be following Simon Feil’s progress eagerly :)

    thanks.

  5. :: Suzanne :: Says:
    July 10th, 2007 at 4:19 pm

    Enjoyed your post. I’d like to invite you to link it to the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle blogpost roundup.

  6. :: Suzanne :: Says:
    July 10th, 2007 at 4:21 pm

    Enjoyed your post. I’d like to invite you to link it to the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle blogpost roundup.

    (sorry about the bunk link in the above comment)

  7. :: Suzanne :: Says:
    July 10th, 2007 at 4:21 pm

    Enjoyed your post. I’d like to invite you to link it to the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle blogpost roundup.

    (ack. Linky inept I am today. Third time is the charm?

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