Finding the Good in Food

"I profoundly believe that the power of food has a primal place in our homes; that bonds us to the best bits of life." 
~Jamie Oliver, from his TED lecture

I'm interested in what Jamie Oliver has to say about food. And Michael Pollan. And Jonathan Safran Foer. And Eric Schlosser. And Carlo Petrini. And Julia Child. And Julie Powell. And Novella Carpenter. And Amanda Hesser. The list goes on.

I'm fascinated by food. I not only find it delicious and useful in a fight, it's also mysterious, indulgent, powerful, and highly complex. And like most people, my relationship with food is also very complex. While I enjoy cooking, eating at restaurants, shopping at farmers' markets, and the elusive magic that is baking, I also experience a lot of frustration, annoyance, and confusion when it comes to food. 

I worry about eating too many calories. I'm baffled by the notion of good fats and bad fats. I try, very hard, to "avoid edible food-like substances," as Michael Pollan advises. I'm concerned that my chicken was tortured on its journey to my plate. And that the people who were employed to raise that poor chicken were treated unjustly, too. But I eat it anyway. And I question what (and who) else had to die so that I might enjoy a wholly diverse and convenient food shopping experience. I ponder to what uses my money is put when I choose to purchase one brand of yogurt over another. 

Am I stressing out way too much over dinner? Yeah.

Does that mean I shouldn't think about these things? Of course not.

Having a good relationship with food is difficult. But I believe that, like with all relationships, a little compassion and understanding will get me a long way.

And thus a blog was born...this here blog. So that I might chronicle my adventures in finding the good in food.