Writing about food can feel silly and meaningless at times. There’s a of pain and suffering in this world and sometimes I wonder if I’m wasting my time writing about cupcakes and pesto.
But, I know that food matters.
There’s a social justice element to food that I can’t ignore. Food has the uncanny ability to bring people together, but it divides just as easily. Food can be healing, fulfilling, and wonderful. But oftentimes, we purchase food at the expense of our bodies, the environment, laborers, farmers, animals, and more.
Our current food system is difficult to navigate (at best). I think that many of us are discouraged and we have no idea how to make a difference. Frankly, we’re tired of hearing about what new poison has been found in our food (i.e. arsenic in chicken, pink slime, etc.). We’re tired of hearing that everything is going to kill us.
No matter how bleak it looks at times, I’d encourage you to keep fighting the good fight. Find ways to make a difference, no matter how small. Make dinner for a friend. Purchase food from a small local farm. Plant a garden (or join a community garden). Donate to a food bank. Serve a meal at a soup kitchen. Purchase less processed foods, and make more from scratch. Be inspired food advocates who are making a difference, such as Perennial Plate, Cooking up a Story, Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle and more.
And tonight, you should go out to eat!
Various cities across the nation are participating in Dining Out for Life. If you dine out at a participating restaurant this evening (April 26th), 20%-30% of your bill will go towards funding HIV/AIDS testing and resource centers. (It’s a win-win situation! You get to go out to eat and help support a great cause.)
This is one simple way to get involved. With that being said, I do hope you’ll join me in dining out for life this evening.
Note: I may be a little late in posting this for those of you on the East Coast, sorry! And, as always, thanks for letting me get up on my soap box for a bit. :)
Well said. It feels like quite the uphill battle at most times, but we’ve got to keep on trucking if we hope for anything to change.
Where did you end up going yesterday?
I went to Savoy and it was wonderful! Good food and a good cause. It doesn’t get much better!