Observations

I'm reading Anthony Bourdain's first book, Kitchen Confidential.  If you have ever seen his show, No Reservations, you can imagine how descriptive his written media could be.  Among the countless stories of drug use and kitchen foul play, you find an intertwined theme lurking behind the debauchery.  As much as most people (non-chefs) hate him, you have to admit this guy really knows his stuff. He is a culinary master of all things good.  The one thing that this guy really advocates for is high-quality, fresh and we'll thought out food.  He is concerned about where the food comes from. How long since the fish came out of water? How well was it prepared?  At the heart of it, this guy is a true foodie. He's willing to eat anything once.  And it all began when he was young.  He made the conscious decision to try anything that he could get his mouth on.  Oysters, I believe, were his turning point.

This is what it is all about. Setting the landscape for which my son may grow up trying things that he wants to eat.  Of course, while I consider myself somewhat adventurous, I have a ways to go.  I realize that much of what I have never eaten or ordered is simply because I'm afraid that I won't like it.  But there are so many great dishes to try, and I've decided to cave into my fears, and try anything once.  One thing I must be clear on:  The food that I hope to eat, and bring to my son, must be made with the heart and soul of the person that creates it.  That's the catch.  Anyone can go to McDonald's and get a garbage piece of beef and call it dinner.  For me, the food I eat should be as local as it gets, made with pride by someone that has a story to tell with the food, and be as fresh and natural as possible.  I'm not only interested in feeding my son for his nourishment...we're feeding his brain, too.  It's a culinary culture-fest.

Besides culture, food needs to be healthy. And this means a lot of different things to a lot of people.  Just knowing where your food comes from is important.  Too much of what we eat as Americans is processed so far that you cannot even begin to know how unhealthy it could potentially be.  Why wouldn't you want to know where your dinner came from?  It's possible to sniff the restaurants out and get info. Get to know the meat purveyors, or the fish guy at the local store.  Grow your own food, which is what we're attempting to do.  Buy local, and support the local stores that help to educate you.  Around Wichita, you can go to Food for Though or Green Acres. You get good ideas, and education about your ingredients.  Better yet, you get a better sense that the people that work there actually care about your health, and not your wallet.

Coming in May, just before the beginning of the Old Town Farmers Market, a friend of mine is hosting a screening of the movie, Food Inc.  I have not yet seen the film, but I understand it is life changing for some people.  The movie will play at the Orpheum, and is sponsored by some of the businesses we need to support.  You can get tickets at various sponsor locations, such as Johnson's Garden Center and Food for Thought.  Go shop there, and pick up some FREE Tickets.  $5 at the door if you forget to snag one.

Next post will show my progress. To date, I have 32 of the 46 pods of Heirloom tomatoes growing, and 17 of 23 Pepper Plants in my indoor garden.  I really need to get the lettuce and greens in the garden, but with being out of town, that will have to be put off a week.  But one good thing...I got my sprinkler system installed last Friday.  I now have an awesome valved zone dedicated to the garden. Zone 10 is the key to consistent and thorough watering.  We'll see... Til then.