Focus on Process

A friend of ours grew up in the city and became so obsessed with the origins of food that she got a college degree in agricultural economics. Her first job in the food industry was managing a potato chip warehouse. That’s when she finally encountered the most important ingredient in food production – the people who process the raw ingredients then distribute the final product to the consumer. She’s now a public relations spokesperson, but she really knows her foods!

Cooking relies on the skills and knowledge of the cook. People don’t eat in a vacuum – food comes from somewhere, is prepared by someone, served by someone else, etc. The great joy of eating out is the companionship of others, whether at the table or in the background. Good food is too special to be eaten in isolation.

How can we create good food? The answer is in the details – and that is what we propose to explore.

It doesn’t have to be complicated to be good. Many of the tricks used in restaurants have nothing to do with the flavor or nutritional content of food, but they add a zest and sparkle that is eye pleasing.

Sustainability, organic produce and green thinking have been matters of some concern for some time.  Evil Auntie’s grandparents all grew their own produce and took great delight in cultivating unusual varieties rarely seen at the grocers.  The realities of time, transportation & storage have limited the varieties sold in the average American supermarket to those few sturdy enough to survive long enough to still look fresh by the time they reach the market. Local truck farmers who can deliver directly to the grocer have done much to remedy the situation. Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco is among the new breed of retailers who have successfully bypassed the middlemen and purchase most of the produce they stock directly from a local farmer.