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Farmers markets and CSAs sprout up every spring along with the lettuce and tomato plants. Supermarkets across the country, from small family-owned stores to big box chains, are all offering organic options throughout the store, not just produce any more. So, we all think – or would like to think – that we’re eating nutritious food. Do we even know what good “nutrition” is? 
While the borders of Persian Empire advanced and receded over the centuries, today “Persia” is equated with Iran. With our world connections ever more fluid – and, at times, tense – now is a great time to explore traditional and contemporary dishes from Iran, Kurdistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, all parts of the Persian Empire at one time or another. 
Modern consumers hold a deep – and false – belief that food, especially good food, real food, takes time. A lot of time… It simply doesn’t. I prepared a menu that took only 2 hours and fed five people for less than $50 – with leftovers! 
Summer for me brings back fond memories of living in Tokyo and discovering new foods to enjoy to beat off the muggy summer heat of such a massive city. Chief among my favorites was shiso. Shiso also known as Perilla, Beef Steak Leaf, or Japanese Basil, is actually a member of the mint family. 
Tsukiji Fish Market is a dizzying place offering over 400 unique types of seafood and sea vegetation every day. Any plant or animal from any body of water in the world that could be even remotely considered edible (puffer fish, stone fish etc.) is available. And for the right amount of money it can be yours! 
One of the things most often noted about Japanese cuisine, is how exquisite it looks. Everything looks so impossibly perfect; small mounds of food look as if they have been sculpted rather than just prepared. 
Japanese cuisine… what images do those words bring up? Typically when I speak to people about traditional Japanese food, sushi is the first thing they bring up, then teriyaki and, occasionally, instant ramen. People also seem to have a sense that the Japanese naturally have better eating habits and are healthier than we are here in the West. What is the truth? In a nutshell? |
 
Book of the MonthStand Together or Starve Alone: Unity and Chaos in the U.S. Food Movement
 “The Food Movement” is a pretty big concept – it can incorporate anything and everything from farming and food production to distribution, marketing, and retail sales. Then toss in farmers markets, food co-ops, and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and it’s a topic that is hard to get your mind around.
In Stand Together or Starve Alone, Mark Winne uses the term “food movement” as an over-arching concept, however he rounds it up into a more straightforward description: “Food Security.” Read on... A Video You Don't Want to Miss!As a member of the Blackfeet Nation, Mariah Gladstone, IndigiKitchen, shares the importance of an Indigenous-based diet. 
Gladstone poses the question of whether a nation can truly be soverign if they are unable to provide for themselves. Something we should all ask ourselves as we move farther from being able to do so. LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOUR FOOD GETS TO YOUR PLATE
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