Thank you Paul Newman

For, among many other things, probably doing more to promote quality food for the masses – through the Newman’s Own line of food and drinks – than anyone else in the US. While Wal-Mart and Target only recently jumped on the organic bandwagon, Newman’s Own has been doing it since the early 90’s.

It certainly helps that all of the profits go to charity, or “Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good” according to their website. If more people in the US would follow his lead, this will be a much better place for it.

UPDATE: Here’s a good article from the SF Chronicle about the organic side of the business.

The plight of the Localvore in DC

I just read an article in today’s Washington Post food section about how people are basically becoming their own food inspectors, not just reading labels but researching online etc. where food comes from. I can relate to this, as I get frustrated when I see evidence (like @Whole Foods) that healthy food seems to be a privilege (for those who can afford it), not a basic right.

One thing that the article really doesn’t address (but should have) is the example of the woman @the beginning of the story who regularly visits no less than seven stores every week. Where I live, this is pretty normal. This is a regular source of traffic and stress, I think. Going to multiple food stores regularly is a huge time sucker, not to mention the extra gas you need for all of those errands. Nevertheless, we all have to eat.

In Northern VA we have the fortune of plenty of grocery store choices but it’s incredibly difficult to get decent produce @any of them. I’ve gotten rotten avocados @Whole Foods, for example. Tomatos here don’t taste like anything, unless you grow them yourself, and you’re not going to grow many if all you have is a deck. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten truly fresh salad greens @Wegman’s. And there are only two of us @my house, so Costco bulk buying isn’t an option.

I’ve also read and listened to public radio’s Localvore Nation experiment. They’re tracking 15 people throughout the year and the challenge is to eat 80% locally grown/raised food. As an Easterner who grew up in California, it’s no surprise to me that the West Coasters are having a less challenging time of it than the East Coasters. Interesting, but it just doesn’t seem that fair.

Moosewood frozen meals

I had a Moosewood (same company as the Moosewood cookbooks and restaurant) mac & cheese sitting in my freezer from a buy-one-get-one free sale @Harris Teeter. I’ve been hesitant to eat it since mac & cheese is near and dear to me. For years I lived on Annie’s organic whole wheat mac & cheese, made w/olive oil & soymilk as a way to be sort of healthy (and this was way before organic and whole wheat became buzzwords). If I was really pushing it healthy-wise I’d put in some veggies in w/the mac & cheese @the end. Good stuff, and a step up from the 3/$1 not-Kraft version I lived on in college and the few years of brokedom post-college.

This week I was running out of lunch ideas so I grabbed the Moosewood mac & cheese on the way out the door. It turned out really nice, and it worked w/my usual tabasco sauce addition. If it had bread crumbs on top it would have been perfect bliss (or as perfect as perfect can get when you’re eating lunch @your desk). A tasty surprise.