Comments on: Would you have dinner with this woman?

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:53:52 +0000

A recent blog post by her prompted me to write this:
http://artepicure.blogspot.com/2009/02/poison-pen.html
Check it out if any of you are interested and let me know what you think.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:18:00 +0000

I’ve only just come across this, and I am so glad. I bought that book, sounded good in the blurb, and have been unable to read beyond the first couple of chapters. Every time I have a clear out for the charity shop, I think that one day I’ll finish it … but now I’m going to make a special trip to get it out of the house. It’s not just me ;) YIPPEEEEEEEE

Joanna

By: Zoe

Zoe — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:40:32 +0000

Mallet isn’t the least bit interested in issues of equity and access, Bernice. I am, eg, I garden, I shop carefully, I’m not wasteful. If we can get this kitchen garden program running in schools all over the country, that would be a big step in educating kids about taste and teahing them the skills to make that knowledge useful. Mallet doesn’t have any idea what to do next, which makes me think she can’t be that interested.

By: Bernice

Bernice — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:54:03 +0000

BUT I think, I fear she may be correct about access to good quality unprocessed ingredients and the resulting impact upon what you can actually do with it. And perhaps more importantly what you THINK you can do with it

Visit a “please insert suburb name” shopping centre just about anywhere in Australia (allowing for the usual suspect exceptions – you know who you are) and what passes for “food” is terrifying. Fruit and vegetables that rot within 2 days of being bought – obviously having been cold-stored for months in some cases.

For most people, food shopping means visiting one of two supermarket chains. Around 70% of Australians apparently. Both chains made profitable by the practices of industrial agro production. One of whom reckons they’re the ‘fresh food people’. “cold store people’ doesn’t cut it obviously. Nor does “exploitative buying practices people”.

Food, like so much else, is so often not about choice but access. And if that access has to be gained by driving for 30 minutes to visit the growers market, or organic butcher, or Asian grocer, the price of access is also an environmental one.

As shopping centres steadily empty with business failures in this brave new economy, I dream of community based food co-ops renting the vacant shops, swapping a bumper crop of zucchinis for $15 credit, buying eggs laid that morning…..

To make scrambled eggs of course.

By: FDB

FDB — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:00:17 +0000

What an odd thesis.

Has she not realised that in the last twenty odd years, more people have learnt more about ingredients and good cooking than ever before in history?

She comes across as someone who reads cookbooks and goes to restaurants. I wonder if she actually cooks much at all.

By: Dr Sister Outlaw

Dr Sister Outlaw — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:34:11 +0000

I do eggs every which way, nearly every day (thanks chooks), with herbs I grow myself, so there Gina.

I also worried about why St33v was worried about the bottom of the cheese toast …

By: Zoe

Zoe — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:20:33 +0000

the simple act of grating some cheese on top and popping it under the griller (coz I was worried about the bottom burning while the top was still liquid)

But why, St33v? I don’t get how it could be necessary to do this?

I also made scrambled eggs for breakfast this morning, with a smidge of butter and some chives.

By: Dr Sister Outlaw

Dr Sister Outlaw — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:04:33 +0000

Hear hear!