wit wisdom & food

connecting with food

#21 visit the farmers market

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Visit the farmers market

Late spring and summer are the best time to visit the farmer’s market, but these days you can likely find a winter farmers market to help you get some really tasty produce. Since this is all about how to connect over food I am not going to get into the great benefits of fresh produce or how it tastes better from the market. Nope, I am going to talk about all the people you can meet and the importance of those relationships. You could go to the market and get in and out, but would that be the most fun? It certainly wouldn’t be connecting over food.

Knowing your farmer

There are a few great reasons to know your farmer. First, if they grow it they probably know how to use it in the kitchen. This makes them a valuable recipe resource. The other reason is that you be sure how your food is grown and when it will taste the best. There is the obvious info of, “was it grown with or without pesticides?” But the farmer can also tip you off to when the best tomatoes are coming off the plants. Want to know when the melons are at their peak, or what the most flavor green is they know.

The farmer’s ability to talk to you about the produce and to have delicious produce is what drives their business so they are more than happy to talk to you. Developing a relationship with the farmer is about showing up week after week asking about new products, what is coming next week and complimenting them on the great product you had the last week.

Seeing your neighbor

Most markets are fairly local. Even in a smaller city like Indianapolis, we have at least a half a dozen markets that happen on Saturdays. You are likely to run into at least a couple of people. If you have kids I think the odds increase exponentially. It is a great place to be on a nice Saturday where the kids can laugh and see friends while you get grocery shopping done and have some adult conversations.

An enjoyable grocery shopping experience

Normal grocery shopping rules for kids just don’t apply at the farmers market. Everything is naturally more relaxed and loose. The sunny outdoors, dogs and likely some live entertainment just don’t set that same scene as the fluorescent-lit, concrete floor of a grocery store. I think this makes the food taste even better. Though it probably has far more to do with the fact that the food just came off the plant and didn’t travel that far. Whatever it is the market can make your weekly chore a little more fun.

#20 meet the grocery store manager

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Grocery shopping doesn’t look like it used to. Large box stores where you don’t know any of the employees and filled with more products than you know what to do with. Even in the 80’s when I was a kid you knew your grocery cashiers. We shopped on the same day of the week and they became familiar. In some cases, they were our neighbors or friends from church. It was another spot that had some interaction and community even if we never saw them outside of work. This reason is why people enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s. Small stores with friendly people who watch your kids grow up. Sounds too good to be true, but it doesn’t have to be and you have control over making it happen.

Food Waste

The number one reason you should talk to your grocery store manager is to find out what they are doing with out of date products and ugly produce that they decide they can’t sell. Food waste is a huge issue not only because it’s food that could be given to hungry people in our communities, which is reason enough to be a huge issue, but also because it is a waste of resources. It takes a lot of time, energy, petroleum and water to produce and transport that food. Some of those resources are directly affecting climate change. There are tons of organizations at the ready to take this food off the hands of grocery stores. They will even come pick it up and provide the grocery store a tax write-off.

Food waste is a huge issue not only because it’s food that could be given to hungry people in our communities, which is reason enough to be a huge issue, but also because it is a waste of resources. It takes a lot of time, energy, petroleum and water to produce and transport that food. Some of those resources are directly affecting climate change. There are tons of organizations at the ready to take this food off the hands of grocery stores. They will even come pick it up and provide the grocery store a tax write-off.

So what is the hold up for these stores? It could be many things, but one of the biggest is that they don’t want to risk being responsible if the product is bad and makes someone sick. A totally understandable hold-up. Most places have Good Samaritan laws that protect the businesses from just that thing. So this isn’t really the best excuse.

Unfortunately, these days large companies and corporations take the easy way out unless the community they serve makes it obvious that they are disappointed, outraged and willing to spend their money elsewhere. So get to know your manager, ask them what they do, tell them what you expect and then call or write the corporate office to tell them how you feel. Keep checking in and following up because the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Also be prepared to shop with a different corporation or even better find a local store if you aren’t already with them.

What they carry

If you want to get certain products in your store your relationship with the store manager will help you greatly. One person may not make an impact, but if there are dozens of other customers asking for the same thing sometimes your voice can help add to the growing demand and make it a reality. Here is the thing about grocery stores, especially the big ones, they are there to make money. They don’t sell groceries for any other reason. The best way, actually the only way, to make money is to sell what the customers want to buy. So speak up, get your like-minded friends to speak up and when they start carrying it make sure you buy it.

This also works for things you don’t want on the shelves. Don’t just stop buying it, tell them why you are stopping and why you don’t want them to carry it. Ultimately the decision will be made on dollars spent, but telling them why could help impact other positive changes before you even have to ask.

Positive feedback for the crew

What you may not know about working at a grocery store is that it can be a very thankless job. If you walk into your local store and everyone looks miserable it probably has a lot to do with the lack of positive feedback. Here’s what frequently happens. Customers come in and shop and if they have a good experience they don’t say much and just come back next week. If they come in and have a bad experience they loudly complain to at least 3 people, including the manager if they are around. Now if you have a bad experience you should, by all means, communicate that, but take the time to communicate the good stuff too.

Managers can’t be everywhere at once. At some of those large stores, there can be hundreds of employees. That is a lot to keep track of and guess what, the positive stories aren’t what ends up on their plate. The problems and complaints end up there. If someone takes good care of you and does a good job make everyone’s day and tell them. Then tell a manager. Even better tell the manager in front of the employee and a gaggle of other customers. You might be surprised what that kind of recognition will do for your next shopping trip.

Do you know your grocery store, manager? Do you know if they donate their food?

#19 learn a different holiday food traditions

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I always loved the lessons in school where the teacher made you pick a country to research and do a presentation. I always wanted to find food to go with my presentations because who doesn’t love food. Countries have their own traditions and some holidays come with their own as well.

Branching out and learning about the food traditions for holidays that are celebrated by other religions, nationalities or any group can provide new insight. You might find that your celebration has more in common with theirs than you thought or you might better understand their viewpoints. Or you might just find out about some tasty recipes.

There are probably a few holidays and celebrations you might not know a lot about like Ramadan, Passover, or Day of the Dead. They are all heavily steeped in food traditions. That is really the tip of the iceberg too. There are so many traditions around the world it would take me forever to list them all, but you get the point. If you research your family tree or do one of those new DNA tests that show you what nationalities you are it might give you more ideas on traditions to research.

Even holidays you do celebrate have different food traditions around the world. For instance, Mardi Gras isn’t only for New Orleans, beignets and copious amounts of drinking. The Polish have a filled pastry called a Paczki. The Germanys make a doughnut called fastnacht and many Americans serve pancake dinners.

New Year’s foods also vary around the world. Most of them have one thing in common though, they all should bring good luck in the coming year. Chinese New Year is full of wonderful traditions that center around food.

What is your favorite food tradition?

#18 watch a food movie

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Dinner & a movie. The perfect date night. That alone is a way to connect over food, but you could take it a step further and watch a movie about food. Whether you are in the mood for a comedy, a drama or a documentary I have plenty of suggestions.

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Some of the suggestions will really make you think and some might even make you angry. I am going to start with the documentaries. After that, we can get to the easy stuff that is all about happy times and sharing meals with each other. The below documentaries are my top suggestions. If you see no others watch these. There are tons of great films dealing with food, but these are my favorites.

Starting with my new favorite, the movie, Sustainable, made me excited about the people who are working to make changes in our food system. They may be the little guys now but the connection of the chefs and the farmers is one of the main forces behind this movement of good food and a better food system. I loved that for once this film focused on rural Midwest America as opposed to one of the costs. There are unique challenges to changing the food system in the Midwest and this movie does a good job recognizing those. You can watch it on Amazon or Netflix.

In politics, there are always issues that get a lot of focus and food isn’t one of them. Which is strange since we all gotta eat. Environmentalist may think they get the short end, but at least they get a mention at a political debate. Not many mentions for food. Honestly, I watched all the debates in the past presidential election, primaries of both parties and the general election, and there was no question about food. That makes these documentaries such an important educational piece.

a round-up of documentaries that focus on food

There are so many topics that deal with food; hunger, cooking, farming, eating, processing, employment, and distribution. For every issue that food touches there is a movie about it. Knowing about all of these areas is important because just fixing one won’t fix them all. Though with increased focus and actions a high tide can begin to rise all, but only if we can see the big picture.

This first group deals primarily with eating and cooking.

  • Cooked was originally a book by author Michael Pollan. In the book, he dives into 4 cooking techniques and the beautiful documentary that was released on Netflix there are 4 episodes, each relating to the same cooking techniques he talked about in the book.
  • Food Inc could probably be referred to as a classic at this point. Unfortunately, even though it was released almost 10 years ago, it is still relevant today. There has been a lot of increased awareness, and this movie is a big part of that, but not many national changes have been made to address the issues the movie raises.
  • A Place at the Table was created by the people who brought you Food Inc. and includes chef Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame. This movie attempts to raise awareness around the hunger faced by many people in the United States.
  • In Defense of Food was also originally a book by author Michael Pollan. This book is where his food rule came from. This is a great one to watch as it will help you navigate grocery shopping. A task that has become far more complicated than it ever should have. You can watch this on Amazon or on PBS.

Now on to some heavier topics, but none the less important.

  • American Dream a movie that was released in 1980 about the Hormel plant and an attempted strike.
  • Cesar Chavez a fairly recent movie that shows what migrant works do and the fight they waged to be treated humanely.
  • Wal-Mart: The high cost of low price is one I haven’t seen yet, but Wal-mart has a big impact on our food system as a large buyer of all kinds of food and a place that may be the only grocery store for millions of Americans.

These next few probably don’t need any introductions. These are three of my favorite fun movies. When I need inspiration I put on Chef or Julie & Julia and my mood is instantly uplifted.

Check out these roundups for more suggestions

If TV is more your thing

Before the Food Network was PBS, the premiere stop for programming and cooking shows. The current lineup of shows is as impressive as the oldies, but goodies. Scroll through the list of programs they have to offer and set a few to record. There is something for everyone and you are sure to learn something. My favorites are Mind of a Chef, A Chef’s Life & Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking.

For a quick snack

Don’t have time for a movie then try a TED Talk on food.

What is your favorite food movie?

Head over to instagram and share a post about how you connect over food to be entered into the connect over food contest. you will have a chance to win a fun prize.

#17 Create a new tradition

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There are so many reasons to create new food traditions. My favorites always center around sports. Like the tradition of nachos on Football Sundays. This one was started by my parents and Tom and I have happily adopted it and made it a part of our fall routines.

Over 6 years ago I met my husband and shortly after we met he moved away for 4 months. It was no fun being apart all that time, but it made the first week in April a special time for us. In that week alone we created a few new traditions. He got home just in time for Open Day of Baseball and we made brats and watched the games on TV. A few days later we went to our first game, Giants vs Padres. A significant game as I am a Giants fan and he is a Padres fan. There, I can assure you, we ate peanuts & cracker jacks. We still try to have ballpark food on opening day.

Over the weekend we watched what was my first Masters. I watched Rory hit the ball into the cabins, and gazed at the azaleas, and Tom taught me about some of the food traditions that have been carried on for years at this elite golf tournament. We didn’t have them that year, but last year I pulled off food for a Masters weekend with pimento cheese and egg salad sandwiches.

Traditions are a fun way to build excitement and positive memories around everyday events. It is like creating your own holiday complete with all the fixin’s!

Do you have a favorite food tradition that you have created?

Head over to instagram and share a post about how you connect over food to be entered into the connect over food contest. you will have a chance to win a fun prize.

#16 Make dinner together

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I feel so strongly about teaching people to cook and this follows closely on this, but in a slightly different way. This is less about an experienced cook passing down skills to the newbie. That is just as valuable, but this stop on the how do you connect over food is about two avid cooks, or more, coming together to tackle a tough challenge in the kitchen.

In number 14 I talked about my friend, Perin, and how we used to cook together. She is one of my favorite people to cook with, though I have gained a few more over the years. My newest is Rachael. We talked a new project last summer by encrusting a fish in salt. It seemed daunting and I would have never tried it on my own, but bringing in another daring soul was just the boost of confidence I needed to make it happen. It was super simple, tasted delicious and no, no one ate the eye.

I have seen the benefit of cooking with a partner by watching my parents cook together. When they got married, 50 years ago this June, my mom did the cooking and my dad manned the grill during nice weather. And aside from a clam bake, my mom handle the majority of the daily cooking tasks. Dad jumped in for pancakes and holiday cookies so he was a fan favorite in the kitchen. Which was a lot like going to the grocery store with him, we always came away with a sweet treat! Sorry for the detour back to cooking together.

As the years went on and my mom started working my dad had to get in the kitchen a little more. Somewhere along the line, he realized he enjoyed it. The first recipe I remember them working on together was chicken enchiladas. Still a favorite recipe of mine. Then he started making a fancy chili, also a favorite recipe, which got followed by them making pasta and homemade ravioli. They really enjoy sharing this hobby. They get to share shopping, picking out recipes, but the best part is probably how much each of them has grown in their cooking skills and confidence.

How do you challenge yourself in the kitchen? Do you have a cooking bestie?

head over to instagram and share a post about how you connect over food to be entered into the connect over food contest. you will have a chance to win a fun prize.

#15 Take me out to a ballgame

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With the start of baseball coming up quickly many fans will be eager to get to the park. Most would be able to tell you about their first game, who showed them a love for the game and the food they love at the parks. peanuts & cracker jacks are immortalized as part of baseball because of the old song that is still sung during the 7th inning stretch.

Changing food at baseball

Hot dogs are as essential to the game as a bat and a ball, but food has changed at the ballparks. You can now find local delicacies and unique to that stadium food. Food has become another draw to get butts in seats. There are articles every year dedicated to just this subject. The new article for this year hasn’t popped up yet, but check out what they recommended last year. How a Churro Dog covered in ice cream, maybe see if the Rangers still have the Choomongous, a two-foot Korean beef sandwich, that was mentioned in a 2015 article.

The social side of baseball

Because of the slow pace of play of baseball and the fact that the games are long there is lots of time for socializing. It is one of the best sporting events to go to on a date or get together with friends because you probably won’t miss the game-changing play. Just remember when you sit in foul ball territory to be on alert for baseballs and bats!

Do you love baseball? Have a favorite food tradition at the park?

head over to instagram and share a post about how you connect over food to be entered into the connect over food contest. you will have a chance to win a fun prize.

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