Completely fascinating

Take a scan through this article: http://www.thedailymeal.com/50-most-powerful-food-folk-america. I found it to be really, really interesting. There were some staples on the list, but also a few surprises -- and I've met one of them (Alice Waters, I'm looking at you)!

Seriously, though, what I thought was most interesting about this endeavor is that it really opens one's eyes to what influences what we eat. Sure, Food Network or your favorite food magazine (or other media outlet) are obvious choices -- although in those cases, the viewer/reader is already interested in food and taking the initiative to expose themselves to these influences. For the "other" eaters -- those that may or may not care about taste or nutrition, and do not have a strong interest in cooking or food culture -- the big influencers include fast food chains, Wal-Mart and other retail stores, commercials on TV...Maybe it is just me, but I found it quite interesting to think about what influences me and what I cook and eat and think about food. Anyway, the article stuck with me for a while after reading it, and I just wanted to share!

P.S. How awesome is it that Pinterest is on this list?!?! I am soooo addicted -- and in fact, I do get a lot of random food inspiration from the site (for example, the no-bake Nutella cheesecakes I whipped up last night). Don't forget, you can follow me on Pinterest and check out my boards at http://pinterest.com/asheardy.

Updates, updates, updates

Wow, I have so much I want to share. I am feeling rather exuberant today due to some exciting news I got at work. Everyone at the paper knows that I have an interest in food and that I hope to make a career out of it someday (hopefully sooner rather than later). We have a weekly “Dining Out” section that is really just an overview of area restaurant, and it also includes “Chef’s Corner” (a seasonal recipe submitted by a local chef) and “Local Dish,” a weekly restaurant review. The section hasn’t really received its deserved attention since before I started working here, mostly due to an ongoing string of staffing issues. Well, guess who’s now in charge of this section? (Like you really have to guess). Each week I’ll visit a local restaurant and have lunch or dinner (on them, of course) and then review my experience in a positive light – we are a very positive paper. This is a big step for me – it will provide me with a great portfolio of clips directly related to my career aspirations. Yay!
And in other news….
A few days ago I watched Food, Inc. I know, I know, I am so behind the times – that movie came out years ago. But anyway, I finally got around to seeing it and it was really eye opening and inspiring. As an animal lover, I do sometimes struggle with my love of meat (roast chicken…Thanksgiving turkey…a juicy mushroom and Swiss burger…). I have always kind of justified it by thinking that these animals were raised specifically for this purpose, and that thought did provide some comfort. However, I never really thought about how the animals were treated prior to ending up on my dinner plate. I’ve mentioned before that I do not eat veal for this reason, but for whatever reason, it never spilled over into other types of livestock. Now, of course, my eyes are wide open. I am not ready to become a vegetarian, and I doubt I’ll ever be, but I have strengthened my resolve to only shop for organic, free range, grass fed (etc.) varieties of meat. I already buy organic milk and eggs for health reasons – I do not want extra hormones in my diet – so this isn’t a big leap for me. I’ll keep you updated.
Finally, a quick shout out to the Lenox Farmers’ Market! What a great market – small, but in an ideal location and with a wide variety of offerings. They always have abundant seasonal fruit (like I even need to mention my feelings on that) as well as flowers, baked goods, crafts, veggies, honey, syrup…this list goes on. I love visiting the market Friday afternoons and stocking up for a weekend of treats!