Brunchtastic

I’m currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, and it brings to mind the curious trend of impossibly narrow food challenges that people have imposed upon themselves this year as the wave of food politics has swelled to tsunami-like proportions.

Barbara Kingsolver and family eat locally for a year, growing nearly everything on their Appalachian farm and sticking pretty well to it during the lean times, which is more than I can say. She’s an unapologetic locavore and a hell of a writer, making for an interesting read that mixes recipes, anecdotes, and serious politics.

http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com

Then there was that crazy (but sort of awesome) guy in Bay Ridge who planted a farm in his backyard intending to eat only from the veggies and animals he raised himself for the month of August, only to be hit by the freakish tornado that touched down there. He was the subject of a New York Mag cover story and made me want to move to a semi-detached in Bay Ridge.

http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/37273/

But there’s more—the New York City Council Member who ate for a week purely on what could be bought with food stamps—and nearly starved to death (ok I’m exaggerating, but barely). His stunt was political to be sure but still a sobering reminder, and one of the more honest food challenges to surface this year. Clearly he’s not the only one doing it, but WNYC did a great story (if only I could find it online)

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/tags/eric%20gioia

The big NYTimes article about freegans from this past summer. I’ve done my share of dumpster diving but cannot fathom wrangling a healthy diet from it. Cheers to them, I suppose.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/21/garden/21freegan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Even Adam Gopnik got into the game, composing a week long mélange of foods produced in the five boroughs.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/09/03/070903fa_fact_gopnik

The result? Am I more conscious of every bite of food that I put into my mouth now that I was on December 27^th, 2006? Undoubtedly yes, but I am also a little sick of the notion that eating responsibly is a challenge at all, something that can only be done in bits and spurts, before one grows tired, fed up, or literally hungry. Everything in moderation, after all.

(sorry for the weird formatting)