Food and travel writer Pat Tanumihardja’s debut cookbook, The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook—Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens (Sasquatch Books) is a treasury of family recipes and stories spanning over a dozen Asian cultures. A former farmers’ market manager, Pat loves to shop at farmers’ markets and always incorporates fresh market picks into her cooking no matter the season. In addition, she comes from a line of excellent homecooks and picked up her culinary know-how from her mother Julia who co-owns Julia’s Indonesian Kitchen in Seattle. She enjoys sharing her culinary knowledge and believes that anyone can learn how to cook. “If I can teach my husband to stir-fry, you can learn too!” she says.

And there I was, a camera slung around my neck, notebook and pen in front of me, the timer going off to my left and measuring cups and spoons strewn about the kitchen counter to my right.

On this particular day, grandma Nellie was bustling about the kitchen making yu gun (egg crepes stuffed with fish and pork). As Nellie started pouring soy sauce into a bowl, I deftly intercepted the flow with my measuring cup. Eek, she just threw the ground pork packaging
into the trash can before I could take note of the weight. Who’d have thought fishing trash out of the bin would be part of my job description? Wait, how many inches did she just chop off the gingerroot?

Such was a typical day “on the set” so to speak while working on “The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook,” a culmination of two years of hard work researching, compiling, cooking and recipe testing. “What do grandmothers have to do with sustainability?” one might ask. True, sustainability is most often associated with food that is grown organically, without pesticides or artificial fertilizers. To me, sustainability is also about going back to our roots, about learning to cook the way that grandma used to cook. In effect, it’s also about keeping our culture and traditions alive through the food we eat and the way we eat.

Food and culture are very much intertwined. Food shapes us as a society and in my case, food together with the values my parents instilled in me, shaped who I am. Indirectly through food, I learned customs and traditions; I learned the importance of having dinner together as a family; and I learned how to cook which has become an indispensable skill now that I have my own family! Food was one of the vital links between me and the cultural network I didn’t grow up in. In the same way, all grandmothers are the keepers of culture and the culinary flame. Not only do grandmothers provide the closest link their grandchildren have to their culture, they are also beacons of comfort and warmth, nourishing their grandchildren physically and spiritually. Who doesn’t have fond memories of Nonna’s rich tomato-basil sauce or Lola’s sticky, chewy cassava cake? Yes, the taste memory lingers on.

This book is so important in so many ways. It has captured recipes that might have disappeared forever. Plus, it gives us the know-how to cook using fresh, simple ingredients and to utilize traditional methods that do without a Wolf range or a Cuisinart food processor. And then there are the stories. These women are not celebrities, but grandmothers, mothers, wives, regular members of the community just like you and me. However, each and every one of them had a fascinating story to tell: tales of bitter sacrifice so that their children and grandchildren could lead better lives, stories of cooking and baking for hours on end to celebrate birthdays and holidays … the list goes on. At the heart of every story is a desire to keep their culture alive and to shower their offspring with love in the way they knew best—through cooking and food.

My culinary journey in producing “The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook” was unparalleled and I owe the book’s success to all the generous people who opened up their kitchens and their hearts to me. These women are the real stars of my cookbook. I just had the honor and privilege to shine the spotlight on them.

Please visit The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook website to learn more about Pat’s work or buy the book.

*If you believe in the power of women’s words and our growing sustainable food movement, please spread the word about our Women Nourish Us blog series via email, Facebook & Twitter (http://fdl.me/d1nqNe). If you would like to host a screening of FRESH for your friends or organization, please – be in touch!

Guest Post by: Bill Couzens, Founder Less Cancer
Middleburg, Virginia

Market Salamander is designed as an open marketplace that caters to contemporary demands and lifestyles by offering a selection of local, organic, chef-prepared foods.

With a focus on healthy cuisine and an endless assortment of high-quality fresh ingredients, Market Salamander is attracting patrons near and far. The market offers an unrivaled selection of seasonal produce, prime aged meats, fresh caught seafood, artisanal cheeses, homemade breads, fresh baked pastries, boutique wines, and imported packaged goods. And while quality often comes with a high price, Market Salamander is a best deal for a local breakfast. In fact, breakfast never tasted so good!

Market Salamander’s team in Middleburg is led by Vaughn Skaggs, the Chef de Cuisine, who began his culinary career at a young age in Virginia. Originally inspired by his mother, an inventive cook and restaurateur, Skaggs’ tireless conviction and support of gastronomic, local, organic, and sustainable foods makes him the “backbone of Market Salamander.”

Skaggs’ philosophy about the origins of the ingredients Salamander uses reveals his passion for the art of healthy cooking and living. “Whether it is produce or fresh meats, buying local helps many aspects of our business. It gives our guests a sense of trust and loyalty, knowing that they could trace which farm their food is coming from. The food is always more fresh and tastes better when it comes from the local farms. We also feel better about the food we are serving. We are leaving a smaller environmental footprint, instead of using transportation. In addition, we are supporting local businesses and helping keep our community economy strong.”

Skaggs’s culinary evolution has taken place in some of the best kitchens in the area – like Vidalia’s in Washington, DC; Potomac Grill in Leesburg, Virginia; and some of the most exclusive private homes of Virginia. His skilled culinary repertoire, coupled with his positive attitude and devotion to freshness and seasonality, has won him many acquaintances in the local farm movement. His combination of talent and commitment drives his passion for delicious and conscientious food.

Jason Reaves, Pastry Chef

Recently awarded the 2008 Front-Line Tourism Employee of the Year by the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association, Jason Reaves is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY with a degree specializing in baking and pastry.

Before joining the staff at Market Salamander, Reaves worked at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia; Postrio in San Francisco, California; and as Pastry Chef on board Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of Aloha, and Pride of America. Reaves specializes in custom wedding and special occasion cakes as well as delicious pastries.

Though young, Jason Reaves is already famous for his mouth watering Salamander’s Signature Butterscotch Scone. At just 2.00 per Scone, it is the most delicious thing you could ever eat at breakfast – especially delicious with Salamander’s bottomless cup of coffee!

Salamander often uses local and organic foods. One such supplier is Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Virginia which has been growing healthy, beautiful foods since 1821. The present farm was purchased in 1912 by Brig. Gen. James A. Buchanan of Washington, DC. The historic property of approximately 800 acres was purchased from his descendants in 1996 by Sandy Lerner. The farm’s mission appropriately states, “To farm sustainably and profitably, promoting the benefits of locally produced, humanely raised meats and organic produce to the consumer, our community, and our children through education, outreach and example.”

Dr. Maryann Donovan, Director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, said, “Beyond the obvious benefits in freshness, quality, and flavor, eating seasonally and sourcing food locally can make important contributions to reducing carbon emissions. The local farms that are additionally certified organic, and the markets that sell organic foods, also have great potential for reducing exposures to pesticides and other chemicals, benefiting both the environment and human health.”

Salamander’s owner Sheila Johnson (musician, movie producer, sports team owner ) understands the importance of local and organic fare, often feeding the Washington Mystics a farm to table regime.

The good news is that you too can enjoy a breakfast of champions and not have to break the bank to eat healthy.

…Before I introduce this next woman, I must apologize. I slipped on sharing this beautiful post with you yesterday. I’m posting to the series a day late, but believe you me, this story is well worth the wait!

Diane E. Fleet has been advocating for survivors of intimate partner violence for the past 15 years, the last 5 years as the Assistant Director of the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program (BDVP).  She is most proud of the BDVP’s Three Sister’s Project, a farming collaborative initiated by the BDVP with the support of its local sister partners – Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center and the University of Kentucky’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Center.  Three Sister’s creates a space for physical and emotional healing, community engagement, environmental stewardship, and entrepreneurial boldness.  Diane’s hope is that Three Sister’s will celebrate and build upon the strength and courage of the families they serve and of equal importance she hopes, the Three Sister’s will help us reevaluate what we think we know about victims of violence.

My life has always been a dichotomy; as a child of divorced parents my mother introduced me to the world, both the pain and joy of it, and my Dad who lived in a small upstate NY town made sure I visited family and friends and instilled in me a sense of belonging. After college with a degree in Restaurant and Institutional Management I dreamt of running my own Bed and Breakfast. I always valued the idea of people gathering around good food and feeling welcomed but I also felt the need to work in a field that contributed to the greater good. I wanted to be more involved in social and restorative justice. I enrolled in the University of Kentucky’s (UK) Department of Sociology and served as an Americorp Volunteer. I was placed in the local Sheriff’s Office helping people file for domestic violence protective orders. I was helping people whose own home was not a place of belonging and ‘nourishment’ and sadly whose community often turned a blind eye through victim blaming words and actions. Five years ago I was hired by the local domestic violence program which was moving to a 40 acre, 32 bed residential facility. My worlds were beginning to collide!

Our first few years were spent getting settled. Moving from a small downtown space to an 18,000 sq. ft. facility with 40 acres of field and fence rows, barns, walk in freezers and a commercial kitchen was exciting but a bit overwhelming. As we took stock of our situation it was easy to see that this beautiful fertile farmland in Central Kentucky needed to play a part in the work we were doing. Unlike Joel Salatin’s dilemma in FRESH the movie, where the land needed healing due to neglect, we at the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program (BDVP) had the opposite – we had healthy land but our families were suffering from years of abuse and neglect. I knew that the land could help heal our families from some of the hurt and neglect they had endured. This is how the Three Sister’s Project was born. With the support of our sister agencies, the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center and UK’s Violence Intervention and Prevention and many sustainable agriculture folks, we began envisioning a working farm at BDVP.

What I love most about the farm is the exponential benefits it can provide. The farm can offer our families access to fresh whole foods, an environment that supports physical and spiritual health and an avenue for self sufficiency and engagement in community life. I know that not every survivor wants to become a farmer and I know that not everyone in the community wants to work with survivors of domestic violence. But I do believe that our community cares and that our families aren’t looking for a hand out, they want to participate – they just often weren’t allowed. Three Sisters is about restoring balance and harmony by honoring the land, family and community. I know the pleasure of sharing a meal together, the sense of belonging it can give but I also hear my mother telling me it’s a big world out there and you better make room at the table for an extra chair because everyone should be afforded a seat at the table. Please visit us at www.beyondtheviolence.org and support us in our Mission and our need to hire a full time farmer!

Please visit Beyond the Violence or call them at 859-233-0657 to learn more about their Three Sister’s Project.

*If you believe in the power of women’s words and our growing sustainable food movement, please spread the word about our Women Nourish Us blog series via email, Facebook & Twitter (http://fdl.me/d1nqNe). If you would like to host a screening of FRESH for your friends or organization, please – be in touch!

This week we decided to give one percent of all of FRESH revenue of 2010 to one of the incredible non-profits out there that are making a difference in the sustainable food movement. Although now doing so seems obvious, the decision did not come easy.  Making FRESH was a labor of love, but the stress of unpaid debts and the responsibility to keep our office started to weigh me down.  Soon I found, passion and faith were slowly replaced by an attitude of scarcity – a protectively closed heart and mind.  My financial insecurity made it hard for me to truly appreciate what came out of what seemed to be a wild and out-of-reach dream 6 years ago.

For years, while making FRESH, I would wonder how my movie would ever get seen (the majority of independent productions never find their audience) and I would daydream of ways for my movie to contribute to the movement I was recording.  And now, it’s happened.  FRESH was released in May 2009, a little over a year ago, and against all odds — no money, no distribution company, no festival wins — it took off.  FRESH has now been screened thousands of times around the country in people’s living-room, churches, libraries, school and universities, and, in independent theaters and art houses. And most importantly, FRESH has been used as a platform to raise awareness and transform inspiration into action. With our growing visibility (and mailing list) we decided to start our own activist campaigns, raising awareness and calling to action our supporters on a variety of issues around our food system.

With so much positive going on, I decided that I couldn’t wait for some secure financial future to start giving back.  Hence came the idea to give 1% of our revenue to a non-profit that embodies the passion and hope that we believe will change the face of the sustainable food movement.  We will accept entries for this grant through August 6th, choose 12 and then open up a voting process to our supporters (there are 50,000 of you!). The voting will remain open through August 27th, when we announce the winner!

If you know of (or work for!) an incredible organization that is making an impact, please send forward this message, and encourage them to fill out the short application.

http://action.freshthemovie.com/questionnaire.jsp?questionnaire_KEY=411

Thank you,

Ana Joanes
Director, FRESH

photo from flickr user micah.e

Dr. Vandana Shiva was born in 1952, in Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand, India. She is a philosopher, environmental activist, eco feminist and author. Vandana, currently lives in Delhi and is the author of over 300 papers in leading scientific and technical journals. She received her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 1978 with the doctoral dissertation:“Hidden Variables and Non-locality in Quantum Theory.”

Vandana participated in the nonviolent Chipko movement during the 1970s. The movement, some of whose main participants were women, adopted the approach of forming human circles around trees to prevent their felling. She is one of the leaders of the International Forum on Globalization, (along with Jerry Mander, Edward Goldsmith, Ralph Nader, Jeremy Rifkin), and a figure of the global solidarity movement known as the alter-globalization movement. She has argued for the wisdom of many traditional practices, as is evident from her interview in the book “Vedic Ecology” that draws upon India’s Vedic heritage.

Most farmers of the world are women. Most cooks, processors, and food transformers are women. Women’s food economy is shaped by concern for the health of the earth and the health of family and community. Women’s food economy is based on biodiversity and it creates cultural diversity.The food economy is now being hijacked by global corporations. Diversity is being replaced by monocultures. Seeds are being modified and patented. That is why I started Navdanya (which means 9 seeds as well as the new gift) in 1987. We save seeds as a commons by creating community seed banks. Over the past two decades more than 55 community seed banks have been created by Navdanya. We help farmers shift from farming with chemicals and GMOs to farming ecologically. We help farmers market their bio-diverse, organic produce directly without middle men, including corporations as middlemen. Farmers production can increase 2 to 5 times. Their incomes can increase up to 10 times. GMOs are getting farmers trapped in debt. And hundreds of thousand of indebted farmers have committed suicide. Navdanya is building an alternative to seeds of suicide through saving and spreading the seeds of life.

Please visit the Navdanya website for information and resources on Vandana Shiva’s work.

*If you believe in the power of women’s words and our growing sustainable food movement, please spread the word about this series via email, Facebook & Twitter (bit.ly = http://bit.ly/bJL46d). If you would like to host a screening of FRESH for your friends or organization, please – be in touch!

FRESH Heroes: Rain Lily Farm, TX from ana joanes on Vimeo.

Who said you can’t live in the country AND in the middle of the city at the same time? I know sounds kind of contradictory until you visit Rain Lily Farm in Austin. I’ve visited quite a few farms in the past few years, and I got to say that I just fell in love with this one, and with the three wonderful women who are making it happen, Stephanie Scherzer (in this video), her partner in Farmhouse Delivery, Elizabeth Winslow and Kim Beal.
Go visit if you live in or near Austin and check out their delivery and landscaping business.

farmhousedelivery.com/
rainlilydesign.com/home1.html

Best,

Ana Joanes
Director, FRESH

Local Beef Burger from Silver Diner

Guest post by: Liz Reitzig
Cross posted from Liberation Wellness

Ok, I admit it.  Eating at a diner kind of makes me feel like a kid again.  It brings out the Peter Pan in me—I won’t grow up!  But, with four children of my own now, it gets more difficult to justify doing things just for fun.  Sitting in one of those diner booths with the retro pictures and the cute jukebox at each table actually begs one to get a burger and shake.  But I can’t do that now that I’m grown up and “responsible,” can I?  I make huge efforts to feed my kids organic and local foods.  I buy grassfed beef and dairy.  I shop at farmers markets and I know most of the farms where our food comes from.

So imagine my delight to find out that I could have my shake and drink it too. I realize that being “responsible” is about being open and responsive to the circumstances and opportunities that life presents without always being rigid and following a set of rules.  There is one diner where I can have fun with my kids without compromising my food philosophy: Silver Diner.  They source their foods locally and even invite farmers to sell, market style, at their restaurants.  And to add icing to the cake, Silver Diner is now partnering with the producer of the movie FRESH—an inspiring window into the local foods move

Silver Diner has made a big splash recently with their new menus featuring “fresh and local” ingredients. It is a treat to find a restaurant or chef, who is truly committed to the entirety of the “local” message.  In addition to their commitment to “Fresh and local”, they are equally committed to helping children understand about food choices and where their food comes from.  Each diner has a TV screen in the lobbies.  These screens show clips from various music videos.  A few days ago I took 6 children (my four and a friend’s two) to one of the Diners and a music video on the screen captivated their attention while we waited for our table.  These screens are now also showing idyllic clips from the movie FRESH.  Young visitors to the diner, many of whom have never been on a farm, will see scenes from local farms.  These short scenes have the potential to convey the greater ramifications of food choices.

This inspiring film highlights what we can each do to increase access to fresh and local foods. FRESH graphically illustrates the contrast between the industrial food system and the “fresh” food system.  The film engages people about where their food comes from as it takes the viewer on a journey to several local farms that produce food for their communities.

Showing the movie trailer at Silver Diner has the potential to captivate a whole new audience as it motivates these customers to bring the movie to their communities. The film’s creators designed the film as a community educational tool.  Across the country individuals arrange screenings of the movie in their own communities (living rooms, churches, school, etc.) to significant response.  These screening events engage consumers where they are and inspire them to propel the fresh food system further forward.  With super heroes Will Allen—urban farmer extraordinaire—and Joel Salatin of Polyface farms, scenes from this movie are the perfect accompaniment to a fresh and local meal, and an amazing inspiration for all our budding super heroes.  It’s going to take all of us to encourage the rest of the restaurants to use fresh and local foods and educating those around us—especially our young ones—with tools such as this movie is a first step to transforming our food industry in such a way.

At Silver Diner, “FRESH” is not just a movie, it is a philosophy—a philosophy that is taken seriously because they realize their responsibility to their customers and to the producers of the food. Behind the scenes of FRESH, it is not just a movie, it is an inspiring invitation to a refreshing way of eating.  The partnership between Silver Diner and FRESH brings the message of “fresh and local” full circle so that children—and adults who wish they were still kids—can add depth to their diner experience.  Because they have chosen this direction for their diner, I can now responsibly enjoy my burger and shake with my children as we all sing along to “Puff the Magic Dragon.”  And unlike little Jackie Paper, who does grow up, today, I’m still a kid.

Action Items: What you can do to support Silver Diner in doing what they’ve started…

1. Dine at Silver Diner and let them know that you support their new practices
2. Let your waiter / cashier know how you feel about them showing FRESH
3. Bring FRESH to your community….

Have you seen FRESH? Please share your experience below.

About Liz Reitzig
Liz Reitzig is a certified Liberation Wellness Nutritionist and a regular contributor to Liberation Wellness (www.LiberationWellnessBlog.com) She serves as President of the Maryland Independent Consumers and Farmers Association and Secretary of the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association.  As a champion for real foods and farm freedom, Liz is the co-founder and partner in a farm fresh buying club and raises her own family on real foods from local farms. She is also a Chapter Leader for the Weston A Price Foundation.

Temra Costa is the author of Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat, which features over 30 women and how they are changing our food system for the better as farmers, educators, mothers, chefs, businesswomen, and policy workers. Temra works, cooks, gardens and writes in the East Bay of California. She also co-hosts the radio show The Queens of Green on Green 960.

While not growing up on an all-local, organic or even sustainable diet (minus the wild game and fish my father hunted and brought home), my learning curve was just the same as anyone else’s. In the relatively food challenged climes of Wisconsin, my family and I didn’t preserve foods or garden, nor were we aware of any farmers markets; it just wasn’t a part of our lifestyle. My grandmother, on the other hand, did have today’s much coveted food preservation skills. I remember eating her pickles, jams, and other foods she had stocked for the winter. However, for me, and for most that have awakened to the impact of sustainable foods, it took a special moment.

My visceral moment of “getting it” was at age nineteen when I walked into the Williamson Street Cooperative in Madison, Wisconsin. The smells of seaweed, organic vegetables, fermented foods, sprouted granola and whole grain bread, were part of an entirely unknown food universe. These foods led me to question, ‘What the heck were all the other ‘foods’? and ‘Where were they coming from?’ Once you start questioning the integrity of something as essential as your food, there’s no turning back. It was shortly thereafter that I made the determination that food would be my focal point for changing how we interact, not only with each other and our own bodies, but with our environment. And when the Center for Food Safety launched a campaign to preserve the integrity of organic food standards against the USDA in 1998, my role as a sustainable food advocate was set into motion.

In 2003 I wrapped up my International Agriculture degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison and was fortunate to land a job working to link farmers with school districts. After all of that studying of international food issues I could no longer ignore the fact that unless our food system in the U.S. reflected my values, it would be a bandaid approach overseas. (We also happen to be in the business of telling other people how to grow their food with chemicals and unaffordable technologies that have failed the claims of the corporations to feed the hungry.) It didn’t take long while working in the sustainable food and agriculture field before I realized that the sustainable food movement was being run by women. I was surrounded by them. From moms cooking meals at home, farmers starting new diversified farms, to the chefs and nonprofit employees, women were leading the charge for a more healthful food and farming system for the U.S. Women are, in essence, creating more balance in this world by advocating for health and the environment through food and beyond.

The male and female energies that balance our natural world have been out of whack for at least a century since the industrial revolution. But never before have we witnessed such decimation to our natural world as today. I’m sure there is a folkloric story out there that could aide me in explaining our present day imbalance as Native people the world over have respected the balance of man and nature for as long as they have been able to live within their natural means. People used to respect the natural world for for food, clean water to drink for their harvests, and the seed for their meal and so on. As we have surpassed the natural elements for food production (and life) with chemicals, irrigation, and genetic engineering we have become removed of what we depend on – the Earth. We have become imbalanced from our nurturing tendencies to care for the planet and this is where women are come in. The world over, women are stepping up to change environmentally destructive practices. Women are saying enough is enough. The balance must be restored for our natural environment and we need to return to living within the natural system. The line of thinking that has led us so far astray will mean that our grandchildren’s grandchildren will still be remediating the soil of our presence. That’s why it’s imperative that we start today. Each of us can start with our food, if we have the resources, or help others that don’t have the same resources to eat locally, sustainably, and as organically as nature intended.

Visit http://www.farmerjane.org for more information and resources for how you can get involved.

*If you believe in the power of women’s words and our growing sustainable food movement, please spread the word about this series via email, Facebook & Twitter (bit.ly = http://bit.ly/bJL46d). If you would like to host a screening of FRESH for your friends or organization, please – be in touch!

FRESH Heroes: Mike Evans, UrbanRoots, TX from ana joanes on Vimeo.

Mike Evans, in his own words, “transforms the lives of young people through jobs and access to healthy food.” I never tire of visiting urban farms and am always amazed by how much one can grow in such small plots in the middle of our busy inner-cities. But what I enjoy most is talking to the young people, who, as Mike points out, are being transformed by their work. What’s more, they get out and then transform their peers, their families, their communities. That’s the kind of ripple effect we could use more of!

Learn more: www.youthlaunch.org/programs/urbanroots.php

Best,

Ana Joanes
Director, FRESH

FRESH Heroes: Marla Camp, Edible Austin from ana joanes on Vimeo.

Marla Camp is my kind of woman! She seems to get way more done than I could ever dream of and does so smiling. Marla is the editor of Edible Austin and she introduced me to some incredible people (some of them also portrayed in a FRESH Hero video) in this city that truly keeps it weird. Last December, she organized a HUGE screening of FRESH as part of a week-long celebration of all that’s local and delicious. If you ever plan of visiting Austin, I would consider skipping South By Southwest (music and film festival) and go, instead, during Marla’s amazing food and drink extravaganza (which last year included a bike tour of local farms, cocktails competition, coffee and tea sampling, tons of local restaurants specials, and so much more.) Marla is a true champion of the local and sustainable food movement and her work is invaluable. Thanks Marla!

Learn more about Edible Austin: edibleaustin.com/content/index.php

Best,

Ana Joanes
Director
FRESH