Author Archive: Ariel
Cornbread & Biscuits: Global Potluck
Global Potluck’s students share another culinary part of their rich culture in this installment! Ever wondered the difference between cornbread & biscuit? Find some tried and trued recipes from the students and their families just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday! No less than 10 cornbread recipes, 3 biscuit recipes, and 1 Indian Fry Bread recipe. [...]
US Farm Bill 2012: A Political Responsibility of the Food Movement
Last week, the United States Senate passed its version of the farm bill – so why should you care? Beyond the fact that this massive piece of legislation costs the US an average $97 billion a year, the bill also determines the composition of our school lunches, food stamp programs, forestry and conservation programs, farm [...]
Not So Long Ago in France: Revisiting the Work of MFK Fisher
A few weeks ago, I made my bittersweet return to North Carolina Blue Ridge mountains from Burgundy, France. I feel at home in both of these regions, so I hardly regret leaving one for the other. After my last several-month stint in Dijon though, I’ve started revisiting the writings of fellow Francophiles whose words continuously [...]
Epoisses Cheese – A French Delicacy: Global Potluck
The students of Semur-en-Auxois, France share another culinary part of their rich culture in this most recent installment of Global Potluck, a global forum for students around the world to connect with each other and share about their cultures through food. What is Epoisses? Source: http://annavanel.free.fr/Images/071108/IMG_2664a.JPG Epoisses has two meanings: it is the name of [...]
SNAP: The US Farm Bill as a Social Policy
Oftentimes when Americans seek answers as to how or what we should eat, we (myself included) look to Europe. Progressive policies requiring the disclosure of genetically modified food ingredients, a relatively large resistance to globalized industrial agriculture systems, and modern societies that generally encourage healthy and pleasurable eating habits are only a few examples of [...]
Barbecue…from North Carolina to France: Global Potluck
The next installment of the Global Potluck correspondence includes short oral histories about barbecue by students in Bakersville, North Carolina. Like cheese in France, “barbecue” in the Southeastern US is specific to certain regions. Many South Carolinians prefer mustard-based sauces, Alabamians are known for their “white” mayonnaise varieties, Texans opt for smoked beef brisket, and Louisianans [...]
Why “Organic” isn’t Necessarily “Sustainable,” and Vice Versa
The European Union and US governments recently made an important announcement for those of us who are interested in organic food and farming: As of June 1, 2012, organic certification between the United States and European Union will be considered equivalent. This means that “if it’s organic [in the US], it’s also organic in Europe, [...]
Farmwashing Fast Food
We live in interesting times when one of the most popular commercials of the awards season addresses agriculture. Along with my parents (who are farmers), I think that my grandparents (who were/are farmers), my great grandparents (also farmers), and so on (still farmers), would be surprised to know that Chipotle’s Fisher-Price-esque pastoral “Back to the [...]
Eating Animals: A Choice
Until recently, I’ve considered myself to be an omnivore by biological default. In other words, I’ve hardly considered my omnivore status as a choice. My eating meat (and everything else) began as a seemingly natural custom of my farming childhood. We bought cattle, we raised cattle, we sold cattle, and they were returned to us [...]
La Galette des Rois (or King’s Cake) Tradition: Global Potluck
La Galette des Rois By: Students in Semur-en-Auxois, France What is la galette des rois? The galette des rois, or king’s cake, is a traditional cake that is eaten during the Christmas season in many countries including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Canada, and the United States. In France alone, there are many [...]
