Foodspiration

Do you know who Alice Waters is? 

If you like food, you should!  A few years ago, she was one of my main sources of inspiration to eat real food, think about ingredients in a simplified manner, cook seasonally and eat locally.  She is a serious inspiration for many other reasons as well!  Have you heard of her restaurant, Chez Panisse, in San Francisco?  It is world renowned and has been awarded on many occasions.  I dream of the day I get to go there!! 

If you read Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, you are probably at least a little familiar with who Alice is.  I was lucky enough to meet Alice and have her sign my book :) and watch her give a lecture, when I was living in Charlotte.

Sometimes I forget where my initial influences came from and how my food journey started.  I would say at first, health, was not a concern.  I was interested in reading about the lifestyle.  The lifestyle of slowing down.  The lifestyle of clean eating.  The lifestyle of learning what grows when and what grows where.  All of these thing would then lead to a healthy lifestyle.

I became extremely interested in the ideas of the Slow Food Movement.  In short, the Slow Food Movement encompasses ideas of, locality and impact.  Locality, in the sense of, what food your local area has to offer by season.  Impact in the way of, how your food choices impact the rest of the world.  It talks about peoples’ disconnect with food.  Wherever we live, we can find produce of all sorts, grown in all different seasons, throughout the entire year.  We have lost a sense of the seasons and a connection with the exact place we inhabit. 

I try to buy locally + seasonally as much as possible.  In the past year, I feel like I have become a little more disconnected with the original journey I was on. 

Take this post for example.  This food is pretty much the antitheses of what I’m discussing.  The only local + in season food is some of the fruit + the green pepper.

I have forgotten about all of the slow food ideas, that really brought on my passion for food. 

I was reminded this morning, when I pulled out Alice’s book to take my oatmeal photo on.  I’m not sure where I’m going with this.  I feel like I’m just talking out loud, explaining to you, what I was feeling this morning.  I’m hoping that I can slowly start to follow a few more of the ideas that started me on this food[ie] journey.

I might not do it right away, but I hope to start soon.  And don’t worry, I will surely bring you along with me!

<3

Ashley