[Devotay]

In an insightful interview with the San Jose Mercury-News, erstwhile chef and world galvanteer Anthony Bourdain laid out a pretty good argument for this humble little movement I'm always evangelizing about:

Q: Do you like the direction food is going in this country?

A: In apocalyptic terms, it's a constant struggle between good and evil, with the hope that there are a few more of us good guys than there are of them. I like a lot of the direction. The Slow Food movement is a very positive one. Organics, artisanal cheeses, making things the old way -- that can only be good.

I'd like to see Mexicans break the glass ceiling and get their name on the menu of French, Italian or American restaurants. It's about time. And I think we shouldn't legislate fast-food. Children should just be shamed, bullied by their schoolmates into not eating it. If McDonald's targets kids, why shouldn't the good guys do some viral campaign to convince kids it's not cool to eat this stuff?

Read the whole interview here

[diane]

Great interview from a great chef. Thank you. It appears to me he has thought a tremendous lot about, not just food, but how it relates in a real way with societies, people. I could not eat a cobras heart, I don't see the point, or a nearly fully devoloped chicken or duck. But to me he is the Dr. Siemellweis of the kitchen. Poor old Dr. S went (finally) insane. Just from getting other drs. to wash their filthy hands.

Yes yes, I know it is not about hygiene, but there is a parallel there. Someone stepping outside the circle, and making a difference.

[Jolly Roger]

Personally, I like the way Bourdain expresses his feelings about food, industry, and jack*ss customers in general. The thought about "fast food"...he's not saying anything we don't already know! Fast food is ONLY for when your are too drunk to make a good decision. Ten year old children should not be eating fast food...unless they are too drunk to know the dfference. And then their parents have a new problem to deal with.

[diane]

I do think there should be a differential between fast food, and junk food. Baked beans on toast with a poached egg on top is fast food. McDiddles is junk food. Chicken soup with crudites is fast food, chicken nuggets are junk food, (Unless you make them yourself). A sparkling fresh salad with fresh crunchy bread is fast food, a dressing soaked salad, with a sad reflection of attempted grandeur, but showing its age is junk food.

I would love it if fast food lost its title to junk food. It was neither earned nor deserved. Now I shall eat some butter, pate , fresh toms, lettuce and beet stuffed determinedly into a french loaf. A gerkin or two never goes amiss and the cheese is so ubiquitous it doesn't rate a mention. Sliced hard cooked eggs get a bit of mention I suppose, and generous amounts of avocado if you have one to hand. Fast food donchaknow.

One the other hand I could buy a bread full of processed stuff. Junk food. I do hope you get my idea. I am not trying to be mean at all.

[Devotay]

Well it's a semantic argument, but yes I see your point. It's important to note that Slow Food can be prepared quite quickly. The "slow" part comes in taking the time to enjoy the meal and the moment with people you love.

I have often defined it this way:

If it is raised with care, prepared with passion, and served with love, then it is Slow Food.