Two Day Magazine

Does slow and steady win the race?

Want to really impress the significant other in your life? Show off your skills in the kitchen with this month’s easy to follow recipes.

But, don’t stop there! Not only are you going to create some delectable dishes for your lover to indulge in, but you are going to show your sensitive side (and win major points) by embracing the slow flood movement, which seeks to nurture the world around us. Who wouldn’t fall in love with that? Not only can you cook, but you care.

The Slow Food movement, initiated in Italy by Carlo Petrini, was an Italian counter attack against fast food.  The Slow Food movement has set out to vigilantly preserve a region’s plants, seeds, domestic animals, farming, as well as the particular cuisine of what they call an, “eco-region.”  They believe that we all have the right and responsibility to fully enjoy and watch over the legacy of food and the traditions that, in many cases, define a culture.  This movement is solidly grounded in the philosophy of, “eco-gastronomy”, which is the recognition of how what we eat is inherently connected to the world we live in.

The Slow Food movement focuses on the fundamental tenant of conservation, and how we, as a society, have drifted away from what is good for us and the planet, to what is fast and convenient.  This movement promotes merging the joy of food and drink with efforts to preserve all of the various animals, vegetables, fruits, and grains that are fading into nothingness on our clock.  The Slow Food movement strives to include themselves as co-producers of food and drink and not merely consumers.  Education about food production and environmental sustainability is encouraged, as well as supporting those doing their part to produce foods in an ethical manner, including paying employees fair wages coupled with safe working conditions.

Taste Education is another buzz word that kept coming up in research about the Slow Food movement.  According to www.slowfood.com, Taste Education is rediscovering the joy of eating by reawakening and training your senses in order to understand the importance of where your food comes from, who makes it, and how it’s made.  The philosophy focuses on connecting to your food and the world around you, thus making what you eat a part of you, and therefore caring where those parts came from and how they were produced. They really take that old saying, “you are what you eat”, to a whole new level.

The Slow Food Movement exists for those interested in supporting the world around us and the creatures that inhabit it. That should be reason enough to at least give it a go. And who knows? One little action can start a chain reaction of goodness, so why not become a link for sustainability in your own world? And, in the meantime? Try preparing some delicious foods that could set both your hearts on fire…

NOTE: Try finding all these delicious ingredients at your local farmer’s market, local co-op, or local organic grocery store.
 
For a sensual, authentic taste of India, try this delicious recipe straight from the kitchens of the Pahar Gange in Old Delhi.
 
Organic Curried Lentils

• organic green lentils
• organic curry paste or powder
• filtered water
• organic ghee or butter
• organic chapattis (or flatbread)
• cracked organic black pepper (optional)
• organic chopped parsley (optional)
• organic rice (optional)
• organic yellow onion (optional)
• organic plain yogurt (optional)
• organic chutney (optional)

 
In a boiler, add 1 part lentils to 5 parts water, cover, bring to a boil, uncover, and then lower heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Do not re-cover. Add curry and ghee (or butter) to taste. Dice onion(s) and set aside. When the curried lentils reach a very smooth consistency, ladle them into a bowl or over a plate of warm rice.

Optionally garnish with cracked black pepper, chopped parsley, yellow onion, and a spoonful of plain yogurt and/or chutney.

Serve with chapattis warmed in a skillet.
 
This recipe has been offered by contributor and author Skadi meic Beorh, who spent the ‘Hot Season’ of 1992 in Old Delhi. Look for his latest release: Always After Thieves Watch, available at www.amazon.com