Eat Local or Shop Local?

Today I was poised to do a "big shop" at my local food coop, but something came up and I had to do an errand in a totally different neighborhood. So, I stopped into my local butcher (Los Paisanos Meat Market) instead to pickup something for dinner. Instead of just getting chicken breasts, I ended up buying meat and other deli items that will probably last our family 4-5 days or so. The owner looked so happy over my big order that I thought he would kiss me. (He's an older guy in his 70s who likes to call the customers sweetie or gorgeous or young lady/man in that old-time Brooklyn way.)

Every time I go into this place, or any of the few local butcher shops left in Park Slope/Carrol Gardens area, I think, "I have to shop here more. I really don't want this place to go out of business." Not only is the food really good, but the experience is so personal. You can ask the guys how to cook something, or how much you need of a certain item for a family of four or a crowd. You know that the prepared foods, take-out and dining-out trends hurts these guys. If no one is cooking at home, no one is going to a butcher shop. Many butcher shops have adapted to have more ready to eat, or ready to cook fare, and that's good business. Several other customers were there to buy sandwiches, although at least one (maybe inspired by me?) ordered something to cook for dinner too.

There's a lot of food talk about buying local and buying organic, but in this economy, shopping local is important too. The prices I paid were comparable if not cheaper that the organic, locally-raised meat at the coop, but I'm helping a local business survive. Many places in the country can depend only on big supermarkets or Costco for their food. But there are little, family-run vegetable stores and meat markets quietly tuck away in many places, too. Support your local economy any way you can!

Shouts outs for Los Paisanos from Yelp.com

High Food Prices, Take Two

So often my posts are inspired or informed by New York Times articles, I fear that I sound like a broken record. But today, I noticed a NYT article (Kim Severson's Some Good News on Food Prices) about something I wrote about here and here a few weeks ago. The gist: High food prices might have some positive effects by: 1) reducing the portion size of high-calorie items, and 2) reducing the cost difference between organic and local food and conventional food.

I would never say it's good news for food prices to go up. As someone with a family and 5 mouths to feed (6 including the dog), I'm feeling the crunch every time I run to the bodega for milk or orange juice. Two separate visits this weekend for breakfast staples set me back for more than $10 each time, and I was buying only 2 or 3 items. Personally, sticker-shock aside, I can well afford more expensive food. But I know that many of my neighbors can't. The sign on the local food pantry, which I pass daily, usually says "Sorry No More Pantry Today." It features a little smiley face that breaks my heart.

Yet, I do think there is a huge swath of people who can afford to spend more on food. The decreasing price difference between organic food and conventional food will help average shoppers look twice at their alternatives. I think that many who try organic and local produce and dairy products will be convinced not to go back. The taste and freshness are often so much better. Plus, the cost of grocery-store food has to be put in perspective. When you think about how much money it costs to feed a family on take-out or packaged, processed foods, the price of food that you cook yourself, even if it is organic, is so much lower. Plus, you can really budget when you're feeding a family. You might have expensive grass-fed beef on one night and then turkey burgers on the next.

Reducing portion size to combat high food prices is a win-win. The portion sizes of restaurant meals and NY take-out food, like bagels or pizza, can use a little trimming. Americans simply expect too much food on their plates and are possessed to eat whatever is in front of them, regardless how outsized the portion. One study showed that participants didn't notice the portion they were given (they just ate it), even though they were given 50% to 100% more food.

Recently my husband and I went on a date during Brooklyn's "Dine In Brooklyn Week. We went to a trendy, expensive place that we dared not bring the kids. The special menu featured a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert from a limited list of choices, a standard " Restaurantprixfixe. These entrees were also on the regular menu, which had a much longer list of choices in a wide price range. The special prices that were about one-third less expensive than a normal dinner. How could the restaurant afford to do this? Well, the portion size was smaller, of course! And all the better for us, in my opinion. I'd rather have three reasonably-sized dishes (with room for dessert) than pig-out on one thing or on multiple things as is often expected with big appetizers, big entrees, and big desserts all in line. The table next to us ordered the regular-sized dessert, for instance, and it was clearly twice the size of the prixfixe one. The special menu entrees were smaller too, but plenty of food and in line with an "at-home" portion of dinner. Of course, even the normal portions of a Brooklyn place, probably have nothing on the national chain restaurants that often describes huge portions as a "value."

Some Good News on Food Prices NYT, 4.02.08
As Jobs Vanish and Prices Rise, Food Stamp Use Nears Record NYT 3.31.08
Increased Portion Size Leads to Increased Calorie Intake. Dr. Barbara Rolls, Obesity Research
Fooling the Satiety Meter (With Recipe) Science News, 2.18.06

Brooklyn Locavore

While much of the food I buy isn't actually grown in Brooklyn, it's fairly easy for me to get access to great fruits and vegetables grown within a 100 miles or so, as well as grass-fed, organic meat. (Thank you, Food Coop!) The bigger natural food chains of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's as well as the local empire Fairway have finally taken notice of Brooklyn's huge population of food lovers and are offering better food options to locals.

I try to buy local fruits and vegetables whenever I can, preferring that designation over simply "organic." (Though I enjoy the huge privilege of shopping at the Coop, where much of the produce is both.) An organic Red Delicious apple from Washington State shipped to me in Brooklyn tastes terrible, so IMO, what's the point?

There have recently been articles debunking the environmental arguments for buying local, but I think this misses the point. Buying local is not just about saving on carbon-footprints. It's about being connected to your community and having a better connection to the food you eat. When you buy local food, you are more likely to be eating better, fresher meat and produce. That also means that the food is more likely to be in season, and more likely to have been treated with care all along the distribution route.

All this supports the family meal. When everyone enjoys the food and is nourished by it, they are more likely to join in the family meal and look forward to the time together.

Some Articles and Books
Local Locavores: My Empire of Dirt, with video, and another Brooklyn story
Locavore, Get Your Gun (I love the title of this one.)
If it's Fresh and Local, is it Always Green?
My Year in Vegetables: Barbara Kingsolver
Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma

From Brooklyn with Love

Living in Brooklyn, honestly, it’s hard not to be a foodie. One of the best things about my city are all the fantastic food options within walking distance or a short subway ride. The riches range from old-time Italian butchers to farmer's markets to newer gourmet take- outs. Plus, there are specialty cheese shops, artisanal bakeries and ethnic grocery stores that offer a wide assortment of foods from all over the world. On weekends, we often take family trips to Chinatown (Manhattan's or Brooklyn's) or Brighton Beach (a Russian immigrant section in Brooklyn) to forage new foods to make into meals.

Some local food blogs I love: Edible Brooklyn, The Food Section, and The Park Slope Food Coop. (OK, I admit it. I belong to the Coop and like it, despite some well-publicized hassles, that are honestly blown-out-of-proportion.)

Though it's now hopelessly out of date, my husband and I found many delicious treats around New York with Ed Levine's New York Eats (More). Will there ever be an update? A Brooklyn edition? The task may be too insurmountable, but one can hope.