In yesterday’s blog post, I rambled on and on about the unending economic and environmental benefits of cooking at home. But, I’m not done with my rant!!! Today I have some extra carrot sticks to dazzle you with in the hopes of tempting you to try out your cooking skills.
Today’s carrot stick is called Slow Food International. That’s right, say it with me: Slow-Food-International. What the HECK is that, you might ask? Well, allow me to explain.
Here is how they describe themselves on their amazing website:
Slow food in a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast-life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, and how it tastes, and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
Pretty awesome, huh?! They now have over 100,000 members spanning 132 countries!! It’s a food revolution!! Now, here’s the scoop on what all these multicultural Slow Food members ban together to accomplish:
First of all, Slow Food Int’l connects producers and co-producers, so that in each country, foodie producers who believe in a local way of eating can hook up with other like-minded foodies!! It’s a cook & cuisine networker, you might say. The organization ALSO hosts EVENTS—local, national, and international! These events aim to gather people who are all dedicated to the local/organic/fair-trade food movement and then to celebrate the movement by dining on such scrumptious food and learning about such food (and the people/cultures/traditions behind the food) through film, music, and festivals! Here are examples of recent Slow Food events:
The Berlinale was hosted in Berlin, Germany this past February. The itinerary included 5 feature films that showed different faces of the local food movement. One of the featured films was Terra Madre, a film by Ermanno Olmi that documents the Slow Food-organized reunion of over 1,000 farmers world-wide.
This event is happening RIGHT NOW in Genoa, Italy! It is an event that gathers fishermen, chefs, and interested participants from the community to join together to discuss the delicate balance between fishing and protecting the earth’s waters. This is the 4th ever Slow Fish event, and each event helps to make the audience realize what is the right way to eat fish.
Those are a few of the more outstanding events hosted by Slow Food, but if you log onto www.slowfood.com, you can find the nearest Slow Food chapter to YOU! You can either join and become a full-fledged member, or you can test the waters by going to some of their local events, which range from Slow Food movie nights to local wine tastings, to picada/tapa-style dinners with local cuisine! Slow Food International is a GREAT way for any food lover to get involved with the local food movement. This organization just might astound you with the fair fare that grows right in your own backyard! To find the closest Slow Food chapter to you, just click here! And bon appetit!
