Race, Class, & Gender in the Sustainable Food Movement

From Asta — Blog by Asta Schuette

June 10, 2010

I just came across a great posting on the blog, Racealicious. The author, Janani Balasubramanian seems to hit the nail on the head: the sustainable food movement appeals to the white and privileged American class through it’s role models and language.

Balasubramanian points Michael Pollen’s male-centric concept of food culture erosion in the United States. She writes, “Pollan and others situate the current state of American consumption in a patriarchal paradigm.” I have to say, after hearing Pollen speak and reading his articles and books, I came away with the same impression. Although probably not intentional, he seems to pin the blame for the lack of cooking skills in the U.S. on women rather than applauding their ascend into the public worker sphere.

Continue reading Race, Class, & Gender in the Sustainable Food Movement »

Fresh Film

From Asta — Blog by Asta Schuette

May 24, 2009

I received an e-mail about the release of the newest documentary on the food system in the U.S., “Fresh.” Since press releases are thoughtfully crafted, and I haven’t seen the film yet, I will just use their language.

“FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.”

Continue reading Fresh Film »

Rebuilding the Food System

From Asta — Blog by Asta Schuette

May 13, 2009

(Cross posted at www.almondbean.blogspot.com and www.slowfoodtufts.bolgspot.com)

Well, I finished my first year of graduate school! It’s been a fantastic 9 months. Although statistics got a bit hairy at times, it was a great first year. As we all know, lot of learning goes on outside the classroom as well. Recently I attended the American Planning Association's national conference in Minneapolis. It was fantastic!

The whole planning field is all new to me, but the more I learn the more I believe that urban planners will play a key role in improving the food system and food environment in the U.S. Planners work in areas critical to improving our food including transportation, community development, environmental impact, and zoning. Each of these areas can contribute to a more sustainable, safe, and healthy food system.

Continue reading Rebuilding the Food System »

Banana Bread of Awesome is Replaced with Banana Bread of Ethereal

From Asta — Blog by Asta Schuette

February 28, 2009

Wow, I just made a banana bread recipe from Smitten Kitchen that was awesome! I added some flax seed (Yah, omega fatty acids!), left the bananas a bit chunky and used my muffin tin for speed. They turned out so good I think I am going to have to replace my “Banana Bread of Awesome” recipe with this new recipe which will be christened “Banana Bread of Ethereal”.

What I like about Deb’s site, Smitten Kitchen, is that she openly admits to what I think all of us do. That is, hunting for the best two of three recipes, combining your favorite aspects of each, and then crossing your fingers in hopes that it turns out okay. This methodology has about a 50% success rate, and when you are successful, boy, are you successful.

Continue reading Banana Bread of Awesome is Replaced with Banana Bread of Ethereal »

Welcome!

From Asta — Blog by Asta Schuette

February 28, 2009

This whole on-line food community thing has me tickled pink! What a great idea! I can’t wait to see what my friends are cooking, what articles they are reading, and of course sharing my own food experiences!

My kitchen triumph of the week, my first pork roast! It was supper easy and I made it in a slow cooker over night. The meat is juicy and just falls off the bone. No browning, no prep, just throw some herbs, stock and a big’ol hunk of meat in a slow cooker and call it delicious!

Continue reading Welcome! »