Reverence and Love

In December I had the opportunity to attend a talk given by Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson. Though the discussion covered many topics, it was essentially about humanity’s place and influence on the natural world and how our need to control it is doing us more harm than good. Agriculture may be the biggest culprit. Wes Jackson said, “The problem with agriculture is 10,000 years old.” That is to say that it is an inherently flawed way of feeding humanity.  This may come as a surprise to some, and it certainly did for me, but this was precisely what sparked my own interest in agriculture. It was the moment I personally realized that a change in the agricultural system was our best hope for the future, and that a profound change in the way we grow food will result in profound changes in our world and how we relate to one another. We currently live in a society that values efficiency over decency and profit over people. Progress. Efficiency. Results. These were the things that were supposed to save our species, but as I look around me, I see crumbling economies, wars, hunger, and the decimation of natural resources. Is this what progress looks like? Can a machine replace a human? Does the outcome justify the means no matter how cruel? These are the questions I ask myself as I try to navigate through this insane society we have created.

(source:http://www.123people.co.uk/s/wes+jackson)

Wendell Barry linked the rise of drug abuse and addictions to the ever-increasing mechanization of the work force, especially the agricultural sector. He argues that when thinking is taken out of work, the place we spend much of our time, life has a tendency to lose meaning. We become drones filling our unsatisfying lives with substances and consumer goods. In the documentary “King Corn” the filmmakers document the typical life of American corn famers. They demonstrate exactly what Barry is talking about; the planting can be done in the span of a few hours by one or two farmers, a tractor, government subsidized seeds, and heavy pesticide use. The farmer, who is entrusted with one of the most vital jobs in the nation is so undervalued and under paid that he seeks other employment opportunities in mostly unskilled labor to supplement his income. He works in monoculture so he cannot feed his family from the farm and he becomes, in essence, a puppet of the state.  Those who pick the fruit and vegetables suffer an even worse fate. The great majority of them are undocumented, uneducated migrant workers who are often housed in near confinement, perform back breaking, monotonous labor in fields sprayed with pesticides, which causes them to suffer much higher rates of certain cancers and respiratory illnesses.

Childhood Memories of Spices

My mother always told me the key to cooking is knowing your spices. She used to keep around a special can of an invisible spice called, “Love”. Some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around spices. The first coming to mind was when my mother held a neighborhood Halloween party (back in the days when the entire street knew each other and all the kids were friends). She blind folded us kids and put variety of spices in little bowls. Then she had us sniff them and take a guess at what they were. It was really exciting to giggle, expecting to smell something smelly. Since then I have always waned to learn how to use spices in cooking.

Second memory that comes to mind was when I used to go into my mother’s spice cabinet and “make potions”. I would never taste them though. I guess I was more interested in the color and smell of them. When I was young, I remember using spices as a way to get back at my mom for upsetting me. A little chili powder in her lasagna did the trick. I even got a sick pleasure of asking her later how her dish lasagna turned out.

My curiosity in spices still grows to this day, as I still don’t know how to use them very well in cooking.  Yet, I believe that understanding spices can enhance my creativity and enjoyment in my culinary life. It has motivated me to use whole spices and process them myself. Finally, I remember once I tried making blackened chicken which called for two cups of black pepper. Then, I quickly realized that recipe said tablespoons not cups. I remember the parents scraping of layers of chicken trying to salvage the expensive poultry from being wasted. Anyways, spices are a complicated thing, but you sure can learn a lot from them. I know I did.