Help Stop NAIS

You may or may not have heard about the National Animal Identification System. But if you support local farmers, you'll do what you can to stop it. Our friend Judith McGeary from the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance points out two websites that are allowing people to speak up about issues they want President-elect Obama to address when he takes office and both are running questions related to NAIS.

The private website, www.change.org, will present the "Top 10 Ideas for America" to the Obama Adminsitration on Inauguration Day.   The first phase of the voting ends today, and the top 3 ideas in each category will be selected for the second round of voting. 

"Stop NAIS" is currently in second place in Agriculture, and the voting is very close!  A few votes may make the difference between the Stop NAIS message making it to the next round, or not!    

Step 1: If you are not already signed up for the site, register at:  https://www.change.org/admin/sign_up  

Step 2: Go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais   Be sure to click the box labeled "vote!" to the left of the Stop NAIS!  Simply leaving a comment does not count as a vote.

And the Obama Transition Team has set up a section calld "Open for Questions" on the official website.  They have not specified the deadline for submitting or voting on questions, but said they will respond to the top issues "in the new year." 

Step 1: Go to http://change.gov/page/content/openforquestions20081229/  

Step 2: Type "animal identification" into the box next to "Search Questions"  There are currently 8 questions that involve NAIS that can be found by searching those terms.   

Step 3: Click on the checkmark by the question to vote "yes".  If you are not already signed in, you will  be asked to, with a link at the top of the box.

Slow Food Sunday Pot Luck at Sloans Creek Farm Cancelled

The promise of sub-freezing temperatures and 30-40 mph wind gusts have forced the cancellation of the Slow Food Holiday pot luck at Sloans Creek Farm.  The farm visit has been rescheduled for March 22.   Should be warm enough by then.  

Deconstruct Chili with Grass-Fed Beef

Peter Schaar, of Slow Food Dallas, shows how to make a "deconstructed" chili that is more like a traditional chili with grass-fed stew beef.

View it here at the Dallas Morning News.

See our web site for grass-fed beef and other local foods.

rs.

Petition for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

Quoting from an e-mail from Slow Food president Josh Viertal: 

"In these final days before President Elect Obama makes his selection for Secretary of Agriculture, we urge you to spread the word to your members about a petition they can sign to express their support for dynamic and sustainable choices for the post.  The petition lists six suggestions, including Gus Schumacher, Former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Slow Food leader Neil Hamilton, the Director of the Agricultural Law Center at Drake University.  

"Erika and I are on the list of original signers, as are several SFUSA board members and leaders around the country. You can find the petition here: http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/. 

"Even if the new administration doesn’t pick one of the listed candidates, signing the petition sends a strong message that we want a good, clean and fair food system and that we expect our new administration to make choices that support that vision."

So what are you waiting for?

Read the Gourmet Interview with the New Slow Food USA President

We have a new leader in the US and Gourmet Magazine interviewed him recently on his plans for the organization.   A quote: 

"I can imagine Slow Food over time having a membership and a reach that enables it to put real pressure on federal policymakers in the next food and farm bill discussion in the same way the Natural Resources Defense Council or the Sierra Club could affect policy for the environmental movement." 

It's worth taking a few minutes to read.

Fire Destroys Maveric Heritage Ranch; Help Sought

Slow Food USA has put out a call for donations to help restore Maveric Heritage Ranch in South Dakota, which was nearly destroyed in a fire last week.  The barn burned to the ground killing over 40 rare breed hogs, sows with babies and owner Arie McFarlen's treasured horse.  Arie is a member of the Ark of Taste committee.  You can read her letter about the disaster on the Slow Food USA blog. 

Donations can be made online at www.maveric9.com or sent to the “Endangered Hog Foundation” in care of Maveric Heritage Ranch Co. at:
Endangered Hog Foundation
Maveric Heritage Ranch Co.
47869-242nd St.
Dell Rapids, South Dakota 57022 

Americans Become Farmers

An article in QSR magazine about the growing popularity of home gardening -

Organic Trade Association Launches Unprecedented Marketing Initiative to Promote Organic

In an effort to resolve confusion surrounding organic purchases, the OTA has launched an initiative to educate consumers on the benefits of buying organic. This initiative comes at a time when consumer research groups like Mintel and The Hartman Group are both predicting a slow down in the growth of organic purchases.

According to Christine Bushway, Executive Director of the OTA, "Never has there been as much evidence backing the benefits of organic to public and environmental health, as many organic farmers on the land, and as many educational programs preparing a new generation of organic farmers. But never in recent years has there been as high a level of consumer spending confusion and concern. The role of this campaign is to set the record straight and help consumers make the educated choice."

Sunflower Farmers Market to Open in Plano

Sunflower Farmers Market, founded by Wild Oats founder Mike Gilliland, will open its first Texas location in Plano on November 12th.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the market positions the produce section at center, housing fruits and vegetables sourced from local growers and suppliers. A variety of almost 800 different private label groceries can be found inside.

The market offers "Serious Food at Silly Prices," and strives to fill the value segment of natural and organic groceries.

The chain announced $30 million dollars in equity financing from PCG Capital Partners to fund rapid growth in December 2007, and plans to add 50 new stores to its existing 13 over the next 5 years.

Slow Down at the Friends Hoedown

It's not too late to taste the harvest at the 14th Dallas Farmers Market Friends Hoedown, Thursday, November 6th. Tickets can be purchased from the Friends site, http://www.dfmfriends.org/.

Chefs, local farmers sow partnerships

This article from USA today examines ways chefs and local farmers work together to lower costs and make good, clean food.

The Perfect Cappuccino To Be Shown At Dallas Video Fest

The Perfect Cappuccino , directed by Slow Food member Amy Ferraris, will be shown at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 9, at the Angelika Film Center at 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane. It was screened last month during the Thin Line Film Festival in Denton, so if you missed it, now's your chance to see what has been described as the story of "one woman's obsession with a beverage."

The 90 minute video is "a personally narrated journey that traces the origins and current social meaning of one beverage-the cappuccino. Along the way it confronts a series of larger questions: Why is the Starbucks chain-store model a uniquely American approach to coffee? Is there something in our character, as Americans, that pushes us toward expansion and mass standardization? Is this human nature? Is it American nature? Are we a culture that values business enterprise? Or a culture that is ruled by it? Blending the voices of baristas, cultural critics, business leaders and coffee geeks everywhere, this film will use the cappuccino as a means to chart the strange intersections of individualism and mass culture that make up the contemporary American character."

Ferraris is a graduate of UCLA's MFA film program, where she received awards from AMPAS, the Women in Film Foundation, Edie and Lew Wasserman, the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, and the MPAA.

Tickets are at the door or at www.videofest.org.

Critique and Rebuttal on Slow Food Movement

Reported by California's East Bay Express:

Slow Food For All?

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/restaurants/slow_food_for_all_/Content?oid=839944

SUNDAY (10/11/08) NY TIMES MAGAZINE SECTION DEVOTED TO FOOD

Entire Sunday Time’s Magazine was devoted to Food.

Articles are still online:

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/magazine/index.html

Good article by Michael Pollan.

Local Wines are Here

Wine meets the "Eat Local" movement on the recently launched drinklocalwine website. Local wine writer, Jeff Siegel, co-founded the wine Internet writers project:

"to highlight the growth of local wines throughout the United States and Canada. During "Regional Wine Week" - the week of October 6 - writers in various newspapers, Internet publications and blogs around the United States and Canada will be featuring some of their local gems. You can find links to their writings on www.drinklocalwine.com.

Local wines - broadly defined as any wines not from the West Coast ..."

Rehoboth Ranch In the News

Robert Hutchins from Rehoboth Ranch sent along links to four recent samples of media coverage featuring Rehoboth and the wisdom of eating green--three of them from the Dallas Observer and one from Channel 33.
Looks like the word is getting out.

They are worth checking out.

From the Observer:
Texas Meats is named Best Grass Fed Beef
FOOD: Everything Old is New Again
Un-Super Size Me: One Week of Eating Local (One man’s attempt at slow food living in the Dallas metroplex)

From Channel 33
Greenville's Rehoboth Ranch's Natural Meat

2008 Dallas Annual Meeting Synopsis

Hello to all Dallas Slow Foods Members,

I promise this is not a long winded type-a-thon and wanted to start off by introducing myself. My name is Shane Stephens and my wife (Melissa) and I are new to the group but not really new to the cause. My parents basically raised me with the ideas of family and great local organic produce (who can get more local than your own garden). There were no organic or grass fed beef producers in Dallas 20 years ago or if there were there was little publicity. That is a bit about me!

I wanted to pick up where we left off at the meeting as I don't want our discussion and ideas to die. I will give a synopsis of the meeting for those who weren't able to make it.

1. Many of the members were very interested in community/school gardens. This brought about a myriad of questions that perhaps this blog entry will help to answer

2. A member suggested quarterly pot luck dinners. Who doesn't like eating in this group?

3. A member suggested starting information drives, speeches, etc. at local universities. This is where our future members lie!

4. A member suggested an information booth or coordination of efforts at the Dallas Farmers Market. (Just throwing out ideas here Farmers Market volunteers/ambassadors that spread the word of the market and Slow Foods)

5. Another member suggested annual/semi annual producer appreciation dinners featuring producer products.

These are some of the highlights and I know for certain that I have forgotten a good number of suggestions. I would strongly encourage our members to contribute both in what was discussed and also solutions to what we are trying to achieve.

Searching for "The Perfect Cappuccino"

Amy Ferraris, longtime Slow Food member in California, will be screening her documentary, The Perfect Cappuccino, a documentary about coffee, consumerism and being American, on Saturday, September 27, 2008, at 11am at the Thin Line Film Festival in Denton.

Have you ever had a perfect cappuccino? Not a latte. Or a frappuccino. But a perfect blend of espresso and milk in that unique, unforgettable texture that can only be described as velvety?

THE PERFECT CAPPUCCINO is the story of one woman's obsession with a beverage. The film accompanies, Amy on a personally-narrated journey that traces the origins and social significance of the cappuccino.

Blending the voices of baristas, cultural critics, business leaders and coffee geeks everywhere, the film uses the cappuccino as a means to explore the strange intersections of individualism and mass culture in America.

Click here for the trailer

Tickets: The 2008 Thin Line Film Festival

Location: Fine Arts Theater, 115 N. Elm Street, Denton TX 76201

The film will also be screened as part of the Dallas Video Festival, Nov. 6-9 in Dallas.

EatGreenDFW is Open For Business

EatGreenDFW officially opened its on-line farmers market this week offering products from North Texas ranchers and farmers along with other sustainable food and non-food products.

The site was originally focused on locally produced food but has grown to include an eclectic mix of products bound together by their connection to natural, sustainable food or their connection to Texas. A basic listing on the site is free and currently there are 24 producers listed.

The on-line farmers market offers products from twelve of them including meat and poultry from JuHa Ranch in Barry, Dominion Farms in Denison, P.O.P. Acres in Purdon, Sloans Creek Farm in Dodd City and JZJ Natural Beef in Troy; sun-dried tomatoes from Oak Grove Farms in Ennis; and natural pet treats from Ol’ Maggie Bakery in Plano.

Additionally the store offers wild Alaska Salmon from Fred’s Alaska Seafood; organic gardening supplies from Edens Organic Garden Center in Balch Springs; and books written by Texas authors and published by Dallas-based Atriad Press and Lone Star Productions. Soon to come: pickles and relishes from Dis & Dat Organic Farm in Purdon.

Full disclosure: Yours truly is part owner.

GO TEXAN Statewide Dine Out Day: October 1 Restaurant Round-Up

Texas will host the first-ever, statewide dine-out day called the GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up. It’s a celebration of Texas food and wine and kicks off Texas Wine Month in October. If your schedule allows, please eat out on Wednesday, October 1 and support this inaugural event. For a list of participating restaurants and to sign up to win some Texas-sized giveaways, go to www.GOTEXANRestaurantRoundUp.com.

Treasures from Slow Food Nation

Ghee, apricot jam, heirloom potatoes, pistachios and almonds, a Gravenstein apple, Massa organic brown rice, and a hunk of goat cheese — put them all together and what have you got? A suitcase that’s four pounds over the limit when Jacqueline and I flew back to Dallas with the treasures we bought at the Farmer’s Market at Slow Food Nation in San Francisco.


It was tempting to add to our loot by surreptitiously swiping fresh figs and zucchini flowers and melons from among the dozens of crops growing in the Slow Food Victory Garden. A sense of honor (plus tight security) dissuaded us from helping ourselves. Planted in the plaza directly in front of City Hall on July 1, by opening morning the Victory Garden’s fruits and vegetables were ready for generous distribution to the needy.


The Victory Garden and Farmers’ Market were at one end of town, in Civic Center Plaza. At the other end of town, on the bay between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge, was the pavilion at Fort Mason where the Slow Food Tasting event was held. All four 3-hour tastings (Saturday and Sunday, afternoon and evening) were sold out weeks in advance.

An hour before the doors opened the line of ticket-holders was several hundred people long and snaked two hundred yards down the waterfront, turned right, and continued well past Greens Restaurant, the 29-year-old temple of vegetarian delight. And the crowds continued to build.


For a few minutes immediately after the doors opened it was possible to get to a food stall without having to wait in an additional line. But the overflowing crowd soon resulted in masses of Slow Fooders trudging slowly forward in lockstep for a glass of red wine or a three-cheese sample plate, jostling each other in the slow, step-by-step-by-step procession. Curiously, samples at the booze bar were free (including the truly dangerous 140-proof absinthe that years ago was banned and vilified) while cheese, wine, olive oil, coffee and other ordinary staples were two ”Slow Food bucks” each — two bucks on top of a $65 ticket to stand in line to spend it. No bargain here. Perhaps three hours of sporadic noshing was sufficient to satisfy the hunger that builds up while waiting in a slow line for tiny samples, but we were ready for a real meal once the Tasting event was over.

Dick and Jacqueline Grote

Slow Food Member Sid Greer Featured in DMN Article

Texas Farmers Blogging for Business and Pleasure
07:29 AM CDT on Monday, August 25, 2008
By JESSICA SIDMAN / The Dallas Morning News

"Texas farmer Sid Greer was checking on his cattle last summer when it suddenly began to pour. He ducked behind a tree and watched as the rain filtered through the pine trees, glowing in the sun. The sight of the rain and the smell of the earth were so overwhelming that Mr. Greer ran inside to write a blog post. "It was almost a sensuous experience, so I wanted to share it immediately," said Mr. Greer, 59, of Daingerfield, Texas."

To read more of Sid's musings, please see his blog: http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/.

DMN Notes SF "Woodstock of Food "Gathering

Our own Dallas Morning News has taken note of the Labor Day weekend gathering of the nation's super-foodies (that would be us) in San Francisco.

Joyce Saenz Harris, writes in Sunday's edition: "Some 50,000 people are expected to participate in this country's first Slow Food Nation event, a gigantic 'Woodstock of food' to be held over the long Labor Day weekend in San Francisco."

Her article traces the roots of Slow Food Dallas from Timothy Mullner's kitchen in 2003 to our convivium-soon-to-be-chapter's 160 members today.

Current leadership team member Mark Monfrey notes that many Dallas members are "more interested in the social networking that Slow Food provides," but says that the political side also plays an important part in the movement's mission. "If we don't take an active role in government and politics," he says, "these small farmers won't have a chance."

Here, here.

Anyone out there interested in adding to our 160-strong membership roll should mark two dates on their calendar:

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 6:30 pm when there will be a new member "Meet and Greet" at the Veritas Wine Bar at 2323 N Henderson Ave. (between 75 and Greenville).

Sunday, Sept. 28 - Annual Meeting at a time and place to be determined.

Also if you're planning to attend the gathering in San Francisco let our current leader Jennifer Uygur know at juygur at sbcglobal.net. She'll connect you with other Dallas Slow Foodies who plan on going.

NAIS: Putting Local Ranchers Out of Business

Seems Congress is now trying to help the US Department of Agriculture make what has been billed as a voluntary system, mandatory, and in the process shut small farmers and ranchers out of the farm-to-school program. The system is the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) which is a USDA plan to electronically track every livestock animal in the country (an ill-conceived, bureaucratic nightmare that masquerades as a food safety measure).

Today, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee will take up a provision of the 2009 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that was introduced last week by Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). It would require all meat products for the school lunch program be purchased only from livestock premises registered with NAIS. Long story short: The extra cost NAIS imposes on small ranchers and farmers will in many cases put them out of business and out of the farm-to-school program.

Ironically, the farm-to-school program is all about improving children's nutrition while providing family farms with a reliable market.

A lot of groups are opposed and are trying to get the measure defeated. If you're interested in supporting local agriculture (and if you're a Slow Foodie you probably are), you owe it to yourself to get smart on NAIS and actively oppose it.

Here are some good sources:

The Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance. Based in Austin, it's a leader in the fight against NAIS.
The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, which is filing suit against the USDA to halt the implementation of NAIS.

Eden's Organic Garden Center to Launch New CSA

Eden's is taking the pulse of the southeast DFW area to see what level of interest in supporting a new CSA there is. Marie is looking to break ground for a fall garden - cool season veggies mostly and a salad eaters dream come true. So, if you're interested, let her know via her website/email (mailto:eogc@airmail.net) or call her at 214-348-3336

A CSA or Community Supported Agriculture is, according to Local Harvest "a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments. Some CSAs also require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season.

"A CSA season typically runs from late spring through early fall. The number of CSAs in the United States was estimated at 50 in 1990, and has since grown to over 1000."

Texas Inspired Stilton Soup

Here is the recipe for the Bosque Blue soup that Susan and I brought to the recent Summer Potluck Dinner hosted by Peter and Julie Schaar.

It is actually a recipe for stilton soup but Veldhuizen Farms Bosque Blue is so close to stilton it is a very fitting substitute. http://www.stiltoncheese.com/us/recipes/bluesoup.html

Veldhuizen Farms Bosque Blue is, at present, only available directly from the creamery. Their web site, with an ordering page, can be found here: http://www.veldhuizencheese.com/

The wine used in the cheese was the 2005 Barking Rocks, Blanc du Bois, Granbury Texas . Their web site can be found here: http://www.barkingrockswine.com/

Enjoy!

Andrew Chalk

Mozzarella Company's new raw milk cheese

At a recent visit to the Mozzarella Company, we bought a new creation called Palo Duro. It's made from raw cow's milk and bathed with wine as it aged. According to Paula Lambert, "it was made last August, so it has been aged for almost 9 months. It is quite firm and can enjoyed as is with fruit chutneys and fruit pastes and it can be grated for salads and even melted in all manner of dishes.

It has a gorgeous reddish rind that comes from bacteria linens that have developed naturally. This lush exterior brought to mind the gorgeous colors in West Texas' famed Palo Duro Canyon which was the inspiration for its name.

Only a limited quantity of Palo Duro was produced, so when the supply is gone there will be no more until next year. It is only available at the Mozzarella Company in Deep Ellum. So, hurry to get a wedge or even a small wheel of this magnificent cheese."

If you miss this one, you can get Paula's other raw milk cheese, Blanca Bianca which debuted at our 2003 American Farmstead Cheese Tasting event and was showcased at Slow Food Cheese 2005 in Bra, Italy.

rs

Set a Course for Texas Wines Tasting - March 31

Eat and drink locally. Sample some of the best wines and cheeses, fresh produce and Texas-raised meats at the "Set a Course for Texas Wines" event presented by The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas and GoTexan. Find out why Texas wines and GoTexan cheesemakers are winning awards in the Lone Star State and beyond!

Event details:
Monday, March 31, 2008, 6-9pm, $40
Tasting: Set a Course for Texas Wines
Location: Dallas Contemporary, 2801 Swiss Avenue, Dallas
Cost: $40
Reservations (non-refundable): online or phone 512.327.7555
(http://winefoodfoundation.org/index.html)

Taste Portugal's answer to Texas heat

Portugal's antidote for North Texas heat: fresh, soft, young Vinho Verde.

Walkaround Vinho Verde wine tasting at Milestone Culinary Arts Center, 4531 McKinney Avenue, Dallas, TX 75205, 214.526.3942. Hosted by the Vinho Verde Commission and the European Union.

Details: Monday, April 7th, from 5-7pm, no charge.

Info: 800.575.4415 x382; or email dallas57[at]janetkafka[dot]com

The Farm Bill

Food is the basis of our economy, our culture and our society. Slow Food is aiming for a food system that is good, clean and fair. Farmers are at the heart of Slow Food. The Farm Bill that is currently being conferenced between the House and Senate is essential in providing for the future success of small and beginning farmers and the future of our food.

What are the big gains in the Farm Bill?
· $2 billion over 5 years for the Conservation Stewardship Program to assist farmers making a commitment with environmental outcomes

· Strong livestock reforms: providing steps to stop unfair contract practices between ranchers and meatpackers

· Mandatory funding for Sustainable Agriculture Coalition programs such as:
o $40 M for Organic Farming Research
o $30 M for Farmer’s Market Promotion programs
o $22 M for Organic Certification Cost-sharing programs

· Important Policy changes:
o “Sodsaver” provision to discourage cropping on native praire
o Reduced interest rate and better terms for beginning Farmer and Rancher loans
o Removal of barriers to organic farmers’ access to crop insurance

What’s missing in the Senate Bill?
o The Senate Bill does not go far enough in funding new farm and rural income opportunities
o It fails to fund “Value-Added Producer Grants
o It fails to fund “Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program”
o It failed to pass the Dorgan-Grassley payment limit amendment
(this amendment would have capped commodity payments)

What can we do?
o Read Food Fight by Dan Imhoff which explains the importance of the Farm Bill
o Write or contact your representative
o Make a difference through your buying choices; policy and legislation aren’t the only places to make a difference

Learn more about the Farm Bill through Slow Food resources on the Slow Food website

Food Fight at AFI Dallas - Sat, April 5th & Sun, April 6th

Throw out your fast food and get ready to see a real Food Fight. Chris Taylor's documentary is the on list of films to be presented at this year's AFI Dallas International Film Festival on Sat, April 5th and Sun, April 6th. Details and tickets available from AFI Dallas. According to Chris, the film is still a work in progress and he hopes that Slow Food members can come to the screening, see the film and give him feedback. The film is truly a labor of love.

"Why can't I get a good tomato anymore?' Because the biggest farmers, the biggest food processing companies, and the US government don't care about taste and nutrition. They care about dollars. Fortunately there are a passionate group of small farmers, food activists and chefs who are fighting back and are leading a grass roots, democratic food movement that is returning taste, nutrition, and pleasure to the act of eating."

Visit the website for "high octane" goodies including a tasty trailer:

http://www.foodfightthedoc.com/foodfight.html

Too Much Tuscan Sun author Dario Castagno Booksigning at Flavors From Afar

Nancy and Gary Krabill invite Slow Food members to extend their Italian holiday Monday March 3 by visiting Flavors From Afar where author Dario Castagno signs his latest book A Day in Tuscany. His first book Too Much Tuscan Sun outlines his adventures as a Chianti tour guide, and his second lays out a typical day in Tuscany. The signing takes place from 3-7, and will be accompanied by wine and cheese from the colorful gourmet boutique.

Where: Flavors From Afar
6712 Snider Plaza
214.696.2327
www.flavorsfromafar.com

David Uygur taping Taste of ...

See and hear our 2006 Terra Madre delegate, David Uygur, at the taping of "Taste Of ...". Slow Food members get $10 off the ticket price to the taping. Mention that you're with Slow Food when you order tickets.

Milestone Culinary Arts Center presents a live taping of “Taste Of…” with hosts Dan Potter and Chef Sharon Van Meter. Chef David Uygur, Executive Chef at Lola joins us on March 3rd.

David Uygur is the Executive Chef of Lola the Restaurant and The Tasting Room at Lola. Raised by a working American mom and a Turkish journalist father, he began his culinary adventures at a young age. He has worked in fine dining restaurants in Austin , Atlanta and Portland , Oregon . In April 2003, he became the opening Executive Chef of the Tasting Room at Lola in Dallas . The restaurants offer seasonally-based menus that change frequently. Bill Addison of The Dallas Morning News lists Lola as one of his Top Ten Upscale Favorites of 2007. Chef David was invited to cook at the James Beard House in 2005. In 2006, Slow Food selected David as a Cook Delegate to represent Dallas at Terra Madre, a biennial meeting of World Food Communities held in Turin , Italy .

"Taste Of" audience members can look forward to sampling different types of gnocchi prepared by Chef Uygur including Gnocchi Verdi with Lemon Butter, Potato Gnocchi with Pancetta and Sage, Semolina Gnocchi with Mushroom Ragu, and Gnocchi de Susine. Audience memebers will also enjoy wine pairings provided by our "Taste Of" wine sponsor, Glazer's

To sign up call Millstone at 214.217.2811 or go online at www.vikingcookingschool.com

Monday
March 3, 2008
6:30- 8:30pm
Please arrive 6:15pm
Tickets $40.00

Show will air Sunday March 9th at 2:00pm on KLIF 570-AM

See David's Terra Madre slides - pdf

DMN - Eating green: Buy food produced close to Dallas

In the Dallas Morning News Food section, fellow Slow Food member, Kim Pierce, details how you can buy and support locally produced foods that taste good and are healthy. Beyond getting rid of plastic bags and bottles, "eating greener really comes down to paying attention to what you eat, where it comes from and whether it required a lot of processing."

Link to Dallas Morning News article and list of local producers.

Slow Food / Slow Art

Calling all Slow Food art lovers…

Gestures of Resistance: Craft, Performance, and the Politics of Slowness
http://www.performingcraft.com/caa-2008/ is both an exhibition and a panel presentation at the College Art Association Conference taking place this year in Dallas.

Slow Art is sponsored through Slow Food USA. Slow Art asked artists to bring pieces to exhibit that would fit the criteria for Slow Art. This is the first time that we know of that such an idea has been implemented. Slow Food Dallas is participating by co-sponsoring the opening reception, and by encouraging our members to come and view the exhibition.

Gray Matters Gallery
113 N Haskell Ave
Dallas TX 75226
214-824-7108.

Exhibition runs February 20 - March 22, 2008
Gallery will be open Fridays and Saturdays from 12-6 pm.

During the College Art Association Conference (Wednesday, February 20 - Sunday, February 24) the gallery will be open daily 12 - 6 pm.

More Details on the Exhibition
§ One panelist, Kelly Cobb, is presenting on her 100-mile suit (a direct translation of the 100-mile diet) which involved making a man's suit (including underwear, shoes, and tie!) with materials and labor all sourced within a 100 mile radius of her home in Philadelphia.

§ Robyn Love has over fifty volunteers working with her to knit a mile of duplicate yellow stripe to be installed along a Dallas road.

§ Sherri Wood will be publicly sewing her Repent/Mercy banners at the Conference Artspace. She invites your participation.

§ Anthea Black is producing a limited edition postering campaign around Dallas.

Workshop with Frau Fiber: White Collar Shirt Production
KO Manufacturing–every little bit helps.
Saturday, February 24th 10am to 5pm

This workshop presents an alternative to participating in the consumption of disposable garments. Participants will learn sewing construction techniques for producing a “white-collar” shirt. Knocking off a ‘white-collar’ shirt originally purchased at a Tesco’s store for $7 generated the pattern for this garment.

Tesco is a UK-based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain. It is the largest British retailer by both global sales and domestic market share, and is the worlds third-largest retailer, behind Wal-Mart of the US and Carrefour of France.Workshop Materials: old disassembled clothes, recycled domestic linens, found or borrowed thread, scissors, tape measure, sewing machine, pins and a pencil.

Frau Fiber will provide – pattern and instructions.

Recommended donation $20.
To sign up for workshop send e-mail to performingcraft@gmail.com .

The Slow Life Picks Up Speed

Great article by Penelope Green in The New York Times on Slow Design...designers that Slow Food priniciples of "good, clean and fair" in their work.

Here's an excerpt...
"I HAVE a little spiel I like to give about thread,” Natalie Chanin said the other day. “The ladies laugh at me and call it my Oprah moment, but here’s how it goes: It’s called loving your thread, and it’s all about talking to the thread, coaxing it to take the path of least resistance. At the crux of it, that’s what Slow Design is all about.”

Ms. Chanin runs a company, Alabama Chanin, that sells hand-stitched garments made from old T-shirts and home goods like flea market chairs with seats woven out of Goodwill neckties. Designed by Ms. Chanin and her collaborator, Butch Anthony, and hand-made by artisans — the ladies, as she calls them — in her hometown of Florence, Ala., her products are examples of Slow Design, which is not so much a metabolic term as it is a philosophical one.

Slow means that Alabama Chanin is run on the tenets of the Slow Food movement, which essentially challenges one to use local ingredients harvested and put together in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Above all it emphasizes slowness in the creation and consumption of products as a corrective to the frenetic pace of 21st-century life. “Good, clean and fair” is the Slow Food credo, and it has — rather slowly — begun to make its way out of the kitchen and into the rest of the house.

While Slow Food is now in its third decade, an established global movement with an official manifesto and about 85,000 members in over 100 countries, Slow Design is still in its infancy. But it does have an increasing number of proselytizers, like John Brown, an architect in Calgary, Alberta, whose year-old Web site, theslowhome.com, urges consumers to say no to “fast-food architecture,” and Geir Berthelsen, a Norwegian motivational speaker whose Web site slowplanet.com, which is to go online in mid-March, has as its goal to be a hub for all things slow, from slow travel to slow shopping to slow design, he said. Ms. Chanin, meanwhile, has a book, “Alabama Stitch Book: Projects and Stories Celebrating Hand-Sewing, Quilting, and Embroidery for Contemporary Sustainable Design” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang) due out in March. It gives instructions on how to make her stenciled, poetry-embellished sheets and teaches her Slow credo, which is to use discarded materials to make something new — and to take as long as necessary doing it.

For some designers, that means leaving the studio. Christien Meindertsma, a Dutch designer, knits rugs on needles as long as yardsticks with wool spun from the fleece of Welsh sheep she’s seen in person. That’s very slow, meeting your wool. (Ms. Meindertsma’s company is called Flocks.)"

To read the whole article, click here.

What The World Eats - Photo Essay

Wow. Here's an eye-opening photo essay that shows what's on family dinner tables in fifteen different homes around the globe. The pictures are by Peter Menzel from the book "Hungry Planet." There's also an accompanying article, "How The World Eats": http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1626795_1627112_1626671,00.html

The photo of the Aboubakar family in Chad and the photo of the Revis family from N. Carolina. presents a startling contrast. In the Revis family portrait, American bounty is represented by brightly packaged processed foods and takeout pizza. The only fresh produce seems to be grapes and a couple of tomatoes.

Another surprise was the prevalence of soda...especially Coke...on tables from Poland to Cairo.

What would a week's worth of your family's groceries look like?

(Thanks to member Peter Schaar for giving me a heads up about this...)

"The Future of Food" is happening now

I'm one of those people who want to know what's in my food...where it came from...who grew it...and what I can do with it. Of course before I even start down that path, I want to be sure it is safe and will continue to be safe while I cook it and consume it. The fact of the matter is, I believe at the very least, all the food in the marketplace should be safe. Safe for me, safe for my family and anyone I might want to serve it to. Its incredible to me that more and more food is arriving at the marketplace that isn't. Because I'm extremely interested in food, I'm aware of that, but so many others are not. Like it or not, we all need to be aware of what is happening to the food we eat every day and what impact it has on our health and our way of life, both now and in the future.

Slow Food Dallas is sponsoring the screening of "The Future of Food," produced by Deborah Koons Garcia. Deborah Koons Garcia is the widow of the famous rocker Jerry Garcia. Deborah has produced several documentaries and was concerned enough about what was happening around her to produce this one about genetically modified food. I think you'll find it enlightening and it just might change the way you shop, cook and eat.

The film is being screened at the Nasher Sculpture Center this Sunday afternoon at 2 pm in the private dining room at the Nasher. Tickets are available through Slow Food Dallas at their website: www.slowfooddallas.org. Seating is limited.

Here a Moo, There a Moo, Everywhere the Same Moo

The Wall Street Journal reports today that the FDA is expected to declare early next week that the meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring are safe to eat. The lead on the story says it all:

"Get ready for a food fight over milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring."

Sounds like another step down the monoculture road.

Zituna World Food Market opens in Richardson

Miss the closing of Worldwide Foods on Greenville a few years back? Well, now you can head up north to Zituna World Food Market. Opening late last year, Zituna offers a huge selection of fresh and packaged Middle Eastern, Greek, Persian, and Eastern European foods. Worth the drive for the olive and nut bar.

Located at 970 N. Coit #3025 (SE corner of Coit & Arapaho), Richardson, 75080; 972.470.0101

Thanks to the DallasFood.org blog for the scoop.