Grounded Grub Weeklies! 03.31.2020
Hello Grounded Grub Community!
Every week we’re sent amazing articles, books, podcasts and other content from our community. We love hearing from everyone and having these resources, so we decided to start pooling together these recommendations, as well as some of our favorites, and sharing them once a week on Tuesdays. We hope you enjoy and feel inspired to share with us if you see/hear/try something that inspires you in the future!
Today: March 31, 2020
What happened on Grounded Grub last week:
We featured a new perspective about the dairy industry coming in from contributing writer Maddy Kinnear. Maddy was an environmental science major and grew up with dairy farmers as neighbors. Maddy brings a sustainability perspective to dairy production and begins an important dialogue about the role of dairy in a sustainable diet. We love that this piece takes a stab at some people’s disagreements with our dairy series and truly starts a dialogue on Grounded Grub. Contributors are able to bring in perspectives that we might not have or agree with, but really foster more discussion about our food system in a deep multifaceted way. Check out her awesome piece here.
We kicked off our “Drinking Responsibly” series with an article on Tequila and Mezcal! In the article we talk about the origin of both drinks, both historically and geographically, how they’re made, what you need to know to help you choose the right tequila and mezcal for you, how you can enjoy these drinks, and what you can do to be a more sustainable consumer! Check out this article here.
We started the Grounded Grub #UseItUp Challenge! The challenge encourages participants to take this extra time at home and in the kitchen to find ingredients that have been lying in their pantry or sitting in the back of the refrigerator for too long, and find a creative way to #UseItUp! We’re sharing the creations of all participants, and we’d love you all to try the challenge!
Coming up on Grounded Grub…
Ben shows you a simple and easy recipe to make a savory and bright Mushroom and White Wine sauce! This is the kind of thing that can be draped over any number of dishes like risotto, pasta, roasted vegetables and potatoes, you name it!
Hannah writes an insightful piece on the word “clean” in the context of food. “Clean eating” is trendy phrase that has permeated our culture, but, like the word “superfood”, carries so much ambiguity that it can sometimes do more harm than good. With implication for not only the environment and your personal health, but also racism and xenophobia, this is a word that definitely requires some unpacking, and we’re happy to bring it to the table this week.
Ben whips up a vegan risotto to warm your bones and your soul through the final cold days of spring! This creamy, velvet-y, unctuous dish utilizes the starchiness of rice, as well as the creaminess of “cheese” and “butter” to create this classic comfort food.
We’re launching our email list! The list will come three times a month and will include all of our latest recipes, articles, as well as all of our favorite outside articles, books, and podcasts! Sign up here and stay tuned!
Have any other ideas for things we should cover? Reach out on Instagram, Facebook or email. We love hearing from you and some of our best articles have been from community suggestions.
Media articles of the week:
There’s psychology behind the foods we don’t buy in a crisis. Julia Sklar, The Counter. “During shared emergencies, shoppers tend to fall back on similar behavior traits in the supermarket aisle. But what happens when the crisis has no end date?” We really like this story because it explores an almost primal form of behavior in which consumers balance “need” with “comfort” and “adaptation” with “tradition”. It also gives us an opportunity to reflect on our own behavior as consumers during these strange times. Read this amazing story here.
With new barley variety, Cornell leads way for brewers. Krishna Ramanujan, Cornell Chronicle. “Cornell researchers have just released a new variety of New York-adapted spring barley, to meet needs created by a 2012 Farm Brewery Bill that expects New York’s craft brewers to steadily increase the amount of state-sourced ingredients used in their beer. As of last year, the bill required that New York’s brewers source 60% of their ingredients from New York growers. By 2024, brewers will need to acquire 90% of their ingredients from state sources. The law aims to revitalize the upstate economy by supporting economic development for farmers as well as brewers.” As a result of new legislation, a state-wide effort by farmers, brewers, and researchers ensued to meet requirements that would affect beer production in a state with the second-highest number of breweries nationwide. Check out this cool story here!
Floyd Cardoz Was My Competition. But He Was Also My Muse. Meherwan Irani, Bon Appetit. As the culinary world mourns the passing of Chef Floyd Cardoz, an old friend of his recounts the passion, creativity, and awe that he not only embodied, but inspired in so many others. Check out this piece here.
Book of the week:
Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Countercultural Cook - Alice Waters
“Alice Waters’ long-awaited memoir, Coming to My Senses, was first published in September 2017 but is now getting a second wind thanks to its May paperback release. Waters chronicles her life up through the opening Chez Panisse, from her early childhood in suburban New Jersey and first year of college at UC Santa Barbara to falling in love with France and finding her restaurant’s home on Berkeley’s Shattuck Avenue. The narrative is complemented by photographs, letters, and recipes, but it’s Waters’ stark confessions that demystify the aura surrounding her.” - Elaheh Nozari
Podcast of the week:
The Splendid Table — The Culture of Drinking
The Splendid Table is an amazing NPR Podcast that looks at the intersection of food, people, and culture, and finds the common threads that connect us all. We love this episode about the depths and complexities of “drinking culture”!
Check out this episode and other episodes of The Splendid Table. Listen to this episode by following this link, or searching the title wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Letter from the editor:
While the Coronavirus pandemic has set the entire world on hold, it is our global responsibility to slow down and keep physically to ourselves. I feel so grateful for the grocery store workers, delivery personnel and healthcare workers who are continuing to serve their communities and put their lives on the line for all of us. If you are someone at home it can feel very isolating and helpless.
Some things you can do during these times:
Prioritize your mental health. That can mean a variety of different things for different people: yoga,
Connect with people. FaceTime parties, call your parents, check-in on neighbors, but physical isolation does not have to mean emotional or social isolation.
Shop and eat smart. Reduce waste and reduce shopping trips by planning ahead and considering what foods will go bad first.
Take cooking classes from Milk Street, they’re free right now! Link in articles above.
Learn how to grow a vegetable garden with Oregon State University Extension’s Master Gardener short course, also free right now! Link in articles above.
Read, listen and watch things you are interested in and love, but not necissarily related to the crisis. Send anything our way that you want to share! We’re eager to connect with you all.
Many food pantries are staffed by elderly adults, considering donating your time if you are in a low risk group.
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