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Sometimes I'm asked what is slow food? Sometimes this question comes from people who grew up fishing, gathering greens and berries and eating moose meat and caribou. They're the ultimate slow fooders, but don't know it.
Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic organization that supports a biodiverse, sustainable food supply, local producers, heritage foodways, and rediscovery of the pleasures of the table. Carlo Petrini founded Slow Food in 1986 in response to the opening of a McDonald's in Rome's historic Piazza di Spagna in Italy. See Slow Food to learn more.
Along this line of thought, a friend, who had come over the week before to get an advanced screening DVD to send to family that lives out of Alaska called. He is probably in late sixties, grew up around Nome and after watching the film he wanted to share his experience with changing lifestyles in Alaska. He explained how things were harder in some ways when he grew up because they'd walked everywhere, didn't use fuel in their boats to do subsistence and had to work together getting food, because they relied on human power so much. He continued, chucking a bit, saying things had gotten easier, people were living longer, but they didn't seem as healthy. He reported that some of his cousins living around Nome were moving away to Anchorage or another bigger city since the price of electricity and heating oil was running then about $2,000 a month--even as oil prices decline outside the state.
Though we didn't talk about it when he called, it is pretty clear that this friend grew up as a slow fooder, using traditional harvesting and preparation methods. He reminds me, with a pause and a chuckle, that we can't go back in time and for various reasons don't want to. Meanwhile, his cousins who may move away from their community to a bigger city, are caught by the pressures of modern living, with processed foods, convenience, and bills to pay.
One more note: just before the holiday break, we showed Eating Alaska to about 350 students plus staff at the local high school in Sitka. Students filled out feedback forms with questions including"What is Eating Alaska about to you? What concerns, if any, as a consumer and community member does this film bring up for you?" and "if you were given an assignment to make a five minute film that responded to or elaborated on any part of Eating Alaska, what would you make the film about?" This was one response, "it makes me wonder what kind of foods I eat, where it comes from and how other people prepare your food." Another student wrote that the film was about "choices." We'll share more in other blogs.
Meanwhile, speaking of choices and provoking thought and action around the ones we take at least three times a day, if we're fortunate enough to eat well or eat often, we're looking forward to a community screening/event in Juneau on March 1st and more screenings in state and beyond.
01/07/2009: "Screenings, Slow Food and Changing Lifestyles on the Last Frontier"
This weekend, on January 10th, Eating Alaska screens both at the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival in Nevada City, CA. and the Tucson Slow Food & Film Festival. It also shows at the Freeze Project in Anchorage the next weekend, on January 18th.Sometimes I'm asked what is slow food? Sometimes this question comes from people who grew up fishing, gathering greens and berries and eating moose meat and caribou. They're the ultimate slow fooders, but don't know it.
Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic organization that supports a biodiverse, sustainable food supply, local producers, heritage foodways, and rediscovery of the pleasures of the table. Carlo Petrini founded Slow Food in 1986 in response to the opening of a McDonald's in Rome's historic Piazza di Spagna in Italy. See Slow Food to learn more.
Along this line of thought, a friend, who had come over the week before to get an advanced screening DVD to send to family that lives out of Alaska called. He is probably in late sixties, grew up around Nome and after watching the film he wanted to share his experience with changing lifestyles in Alaska. He explained how things were harder in some ways when he grew up because they'd walked everywhere, didn't use fuel in their boats to do subsistence and had to work together getting food, because they relied on human power so much. He continued, chucking a bit, saying things had gotten easier, people were living longer, but they didn't seem as healthy. He reported that some of his cousins living around Nome were moving away to Anchorage or another bigger city since the price of electricity and heating oil was running then about $2,000 a month--even as oil prices decline outside the state.
Though we didn't talk about it when he called, it is pretty clear that this friend grew up as a slow fooder, using traditional harvesting and preparation methods. He reminds me, with a pause and a chuckle, that we can't go back in time and for various reasons don't want to. Meanwhile, his cousins who may move away from their community to a bigger city, are caught by the pressures of modern living, with processed foods, convenience, and bills to pay.
One more note: just before the holiday break, we showed Eating Alaska to about 350 students plus staff at the local high school in Sitka. Students filled out feedback forms with questions including"What is Eating Alaska about to you? What concerns, if any, as a consumer and community member does this film bring up for you?" and "if you were given an assignment to make a five minute film that responded to or elaborated on any part of Eating Alaska, what would you make the film about?" This was one response, "it makes me wonder what kind of foods I eat, where it comes from and how other people prepare your food." Another student wrote that the film was about "choices." We'll share more in other blogs.
Meanwhile, speaking of choices and provoking thought and action around the ones we take at least three times a day, if we're fortunate enough to eat well or eat often, we're looking forward to a community screening/event in Juneau on March 1st and more screenings in state and beyond.
Ellen Frankenstein, on 01.07.09 @ 09:43AKT
