For those who haven’t already heard about or seen Food Fight, it’s an award-winning film about about how American agricultural policy and food culture developed in the 20th century, and how the California food movement rebelled against big agribusiness to launch the local organic food movement. The film stars many supporters and friends of the Slow Food movement: Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, Suzanne Goin, Marion Nestle, Wolfgang Puck, MacArthur Genius Grant Winner (and urban farmer) Will Allen, and 20 other key figures in the progressive food movement. Unique among food films currently in release, Food Fight is a positive celebration of the relationship of farmers, chefs, consumers, and activists to the economics of how our food is grown.

A panel discussion after the screening will include Russ Parsons of the Los Angeles Times and Evan Kleiman of KCRW’s “Good Food.”

When: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 7:30pm
Where The Crest Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles
Cost: $13.00 per person. A portion of the ticket price goes to Global Green, Food Fight’s social action partner.

Tickets can be purchased in advance via www.indiedocs.net.

In the meantime, enjoy the film’s trailer:

When: Monday, March 15, 2010 at 7:30pm
Where: The Times-Mirror Meeting Room at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles. Visit the LAMS website for directions.
Cost: Free

Mr. Chang’s presentation will start with a brief discussion of the truffle’s natural habitats and the state of the truffle supply/demand worldwide, and will proceed to cooking with truffles and the reality behind truffle oils. The bulk of the talk will be on the science of truffle cultivation, with focus on important factors that determine cultivation success.

Mr. Chang will also touch upon the unique ways American Truffle Company has been able to gather, analyze and mine its substantial amount of field data, which forms the basis of ATC’s
ever-improving scientific methodologies and best practices, in addition to continued ongoing research in the laboratory.

Based in San Francisco, Robert Chang loves to cook, especially with all kinds of mushrooms. Prior to founding ATC, he held a number of management roles in product development, sales and
marketing in high tech.

Visitors are encouraged to bring in any mushrooms they may find for identification and display.

Yesterday morning we went out and joined the rest of Parma in shopping. There was a huge outdoor market of clothes and house wares that went on for blocks in the centro storico (historic center) and a few stands selling fruits and vegetables and cheese. We are still figuring out if there is a bigger weekly outdoor market for food. I asked a few older women about this in the morning while we were having our cappuccinos at a local bar and they said that there wasn’t much out yesterday, likely because it was cold and drizzling outside. Here is a picture of one of the few produce stands we found, where we bought some beautiful eggplants.
We already have a few favorite spots for buying food. One is a salumeria where they also sell wonderful homemade pasta. Last Wednesday we shopped there for the first dinner we made at our new place and we tried some of the tortellini di zucca (pumpkin) e di erbetta (swiss chard). Both were excellent and I would like to learn how to make them myself from scratch. We also found some beautiful artichokes at a nearby produce market which we cooked according to the directions of the woman selling them and they were delicious. The lettuce and radicchio are fabulous and abundant as well and there are types that I have never seen before. Wanting to learn new recipes, I have been asking everyone about how they prepare things and also I found a few cookbooks at the library about the foods of Emilia-Romagna. We made a recipe for lentils with pancetta (Italian bacon) that turned out great, and gives a nice little twist to how I would normally make lentils. Now we are eating almost exclusively at home (except for some snacks) and trying to prepare as much as we can using ingredients and preparation techniques from the region. I can’t wait to cook with some new Italian friends though, as there is so much I want to learn firsthand.

One thing that is hard to stay at home for is breakfast, considering that the coffee is so excellent. Although we have everything we need here in our little furnished apartment to make cappuccinos, we have been eating out most mornings. No matter where we go, 2 cappuccinos and 2 pastries seems to cost 4.80 euro, which seems like a great price considering how good they are. I rarely eat pastries in the States, and whenever I do, I always am left wishing that I hadn’t eaten one. Here, the pastries are very light and small, and leave you wanting more rather than feeling weighed down. My favorite so far was a whole wheat cornetto (horn shaped pastry similar to a croissant) with apricot marmalade. We already have a favorite café right by our house. If we walk by the window they wave to us, so one morning when we were considering trying a different place, once we got the friendly wave we realized that we prefer going where they know us and where we already feel welcome. Also we see the other local shop owners come in and out, and we recognize and great them as well. No one takes coffee to go, so the cafe is truly a place where people congregate and socialize. It is nice to not see people walking around with disposable cups on the street like you do in the States. I certainly don’t miss seeing those Starbucks Venti cups everywhere.

Since we go everywhere on foot, we only buy a couple of things at a time, which allows us to decide that same day what we feel like eating. I knew that this type of shopping was the European tradition, but what I didn’t quite realize is that if you are shopping on foot, this is naturally the way you shop anyway, as there is only so much you can carry. It seems like there are many people who are still shopping daily at the small specialty stores here in Italy, especially in the centro storico.

Last week we had to venture outside of the center to visit a government office to complete some paperwork. Near the office is a huge supermarket called Esselunga. We stopped in to check it out and found that it is similar to a mega-market like the grocery section of a Walmart. All of the produce was prepackaged much like you would see at Trader Joes so you can’t touch or smell anything to see if it is really fresh or not. You can even take an electronic scanner with you as you shop and charge your credit card as you go so you don’t have to wait in a check out line at the end. The quality of the food did look better than what you see in the States at a market of this type, but this type of market represents exactly what I don’t like about the food system in the States and why I wanted to come to Italy in the first place. However it seems like perhaps this type of shopping is becoming more popular here in Italy. There were many people with very full baskets who looked as if they were shopping for the entire week or even longer. Considering we are on a tight budget living on my scholarship funds, even though it goes against my Slow Food values, I will admit that it was tempting to buy a few dried goods, but we resisted and decided to patronize only the small markets. Here is a picture of part of the pasta aisle at Esselunga, which you can see is enormous:
I wonder if Esselunga is open on Sunday? I bet it is. But I like the Italian tradition of relaxing and taking a break from commercialism.

++ March 20 and 21, 2010, from 9:00am until 5:00pm
San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas

++ March 26, 27, and 28, 2010, 9:00am until 5:00pm–almost 300 varieties of seedlings
The Tapia Brothers’ Farm Stand
5251 Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino
Wearing your TOMATOMANIA! t-shirt will get you a 10% discount off your purchase!

++ April 9 and 10, 2010, 9:00am until 5:00pm
Otto and Sons Nursery in Fillmore

++ April 17 and 18, 2010
Cornerstone Place in Sonoma

++ April 30, May 1 and 2, 2010
Los Angeles Garden Show at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden
301 Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia

The trip has been good but surreal — we are exhausted, dazed, and a little worried, but overall completely happy. These last 48 hours have got me thinking about a few themes that I think will be important for these next nine months. In addition to studying the Slow Food movement, I hope to learn how to slow down in general. Evidenced by the way I worked up to less than two days before moving overseas, I have become so used to having way more going on at any given moment than is realistic. It seems like I’ve been going on a near steady rush of adrenaline for years. I love being busy and getting involved in things I am care about, but this type of schedule really has to stop.

Packed and ready!

Renting a car wasn’t hard at all, and was a pretty good deal. Paul quickly accepted the challenge of driving in Italy first thing, and we were on our way (after a morning cappuccino, that is.)

On the way to Parma we stopped at a gas station along the highway where we enjoyed a glass of fresh squeezed blood orange juice served in real glasses and a freshly toasted panini. Since when can you find a decent snack at a gas station? The American option of something like hot dogs that have probably been turning all night at a 7-Eleven display, paired with a Slurpee, came to mind as a pale comparison and we laughed.

Things were going well. As a good omen, we even saw a truck for a company called Ventura on the way. After driving around Parma for an hour, we finally found the piazza where our apartment is and our new landlords were patiently waiting for us. They even had a nice bowl of fruit and some groceries as a welcome gift.

Parma

March 2, 2010
A little sleep can make you feel like a new person. Though we have so many things to take care of in order to settle in, we decided we didn’t want to worry about any of that right away, so we just spent the day soaking in Parma. It was sunny and crisp and the city was full of people on bikes and on foot. Walking around we feel like we can fit in and were even asked for directions by two Italians. Once we start talking it is clear that we are foreigners though. The funny thing is that our neighborhood, which is right on the edge of the historic center of Parma, seems to be a center for immigrants, particularly from Africa, and there is some sort of grassroots organization with an office right by our house that organizes protests and activities for “migrants.” A small group of protesters passed us by on the street as they marched for fairer laws for employment, and we were almost tempted to join, as Paul is undoubtedly going to have a hard time finding a job here, too.

We went back to a restaurant we spotted the day before that had been closed and had a nice lunch of some of the specialties from the region: salumi and torta fritta, tortellini in brodo, cinghiale and polenta, spinaci parmigiani, accompanied by house vino, and espresso. We loved the lunch, but ultimately can’t do that very often. It was 50 euro, or about 75 dollars. This is fine every once in a while, but as soon as we can, we need and want to start cooking. It seems like maybe eating out is really for a special occasion here, as not that many people seem to be doing it regularly, other than having a snack or a pizza. At least that is what we are guessing – who are we to say after just 2 days here? Despite the lack of restaurants, there are many specialty food shops selling produce, meat, fish, homemade pasta, bread, sweets, etc. Tomorrow we should be ready to join the Italians for shopping for quality ingredients to cook at home.

Kat’s notes to the video remind us that South Los Angeles has the highest rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Los Angeles County. Just as Slow Food supports meaningful changes to the National School Lunch Program via its Time For Lunch campaign related to the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, it also supports the Obama administration’s program to eliminate food deserts such as the one in Kat’s video via the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI).

When: Friday, March 19, 2010 beginning at 7:30pm
Where: The G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice
What: A presentation and open discussion about Garden to Plate with Al Renner and his friends and colleagues. Al Renner’s experiences growing up on an Illinois farm and his deep involvement in the community gardening movement in Los Angeles provide him with a unique perspective on the evolution of attitudes toward food security, community building, healthy foods and nutrition over time; the issues and opportunities the movement faces today; and new strategies for cultivation and community building that may lead us into the future.

When: Sunday, March 21, 2010 from 8:30am until noon
Where: Lavender Hill Farm, 525 Solano Avenue, Los Angeles
What: An open house at Lavender Hill Farm! The public is invited to visit this four-acre site comprised of vegetable beds, permaculture terraces, and a fruit tree orchard nestled on the hillside above Solano Canyon Community Garden. Mark Donofrio of Larchmont Grill, Michael Duddie of Mirabelle Restaurant, and farm manager Charles Lee will join Al Renner to answer questions about the restaurant-supported agriculture program initiated in 2009.

Our understanding is that the market will be open for business as usual. However, depending on the route you take to the market, you may have to detour around streets that will be closed in preparation for the event.

The map below (in larger form with list of the street closures by day) is available on the Oscars® website:

Organic Garden Project exists to bring the community of local sustainable food producers together. OGP is a hub of information regarding urban farms and gardens that are already in existence as well as ideas for the future of local sustainable food production.

OGP will work daily to compile inspiring and informative articles, interviews, videos and photos about local sustainable food production. We also post the occasional “random dose of inspiration” which is not specific to food production but always promises to inspire.

OGP invites urban farmers, community gardeners, city planners, designers, architects and others who have an interest in the sustainable production of local food to discuss ideas and share resources. Our hope is that through this exchange those that are interested in starting farms or gardens in their own community will gain the insight and inspiration to launch a project and find a community of support on OGP that will help them to succeed. By bringing the design community together with the farming and gardening community we can create new and innovative ways to bring affordable healthy food to all communities.

With the growing interest in school gardens, urban farming, and community gardens, Organic Garden Projects is a site worth visiting frequently to learn about and find inspiration in a range of projects not limited to southern California.

Currently on the site, visitors can learn about a “farm bus” in Richmond, Virginia that brings organic produce to communities that don’t have ready access; the healthy food project of Carpinteria High School in Santa Barbara county; hydroponic window farms; and the LA Sprouts program at the Milagro Allegro Community Garden.

Organic Garden Project can also be found on Twitter under the handle @cityfarms.

Here it goes…this is my first blog post!

It is now a few days until we leave and last Friday was the first in a series of many good-byes. I went to a party for the LA Sprouts program that we recently started at the Milagro Allegro garden. LA Sprouts is an after-school program we designed for 4th and 5th graders in Highland Park that is focused around cooking and gardening in order to prevent obesity. This project, which we launched about a month ago, has been an inspiring example of community collaboration – we have volunteers from USC’s Childhood Obesity Research Center (CORC) where I work, Milagro Allegro Garden itself, Homegirl Cafe, and the Master Gardeners, as well as support from many organizations including Slow Food LA, Anolon Cookware, and Whole Foods.

I can’t express how much I love working with the kids at the garden. I am not so sure about being referred to as Dr. V (for Ventura), which is how the kids call me, but am loving seeing how much more receptive they are to trying new vegetables at the garden compared to the students I have taught in a classroom. One of my favorite moments at LA Sprouts was when I asked the kids how they would rate (on a scale of 1-10) the salad we made out of kale, radishes, oranges, and feta (not a typical kid-friendly combo). The lowest answer was 9, and my favorite response was “20, because WE made it!” This whole experience is bringing me back to working at the Edible Schoolyard as an intern back in ’98, which was a major turning point for me. That same sense of magic is coming back 12 years later, and it seems appropriate that I am getting back to what initially inspired me in this field after 6 intense years of working at USC and doing my MPH and PhD in Preventive Medicine.

So tonight, Nicole, aka Dr. G, the garden director and one of the co-leaders of the project, invited us all over to her house, which is across from the garden. She made an amazing tortilla soup, a salad from the garden, and two cakes – lemon olive oil and flourless chocolate. Jaimie, aka Dr. D, who is leading the LA Sprouts effort, gave a goodbye toast that expressed just what I was thinking: We are finally doing what we have been wanting to do here in LA for so long. It is tough to be leaving LA when I feel like I am just starting in on a project that I love so much, getting even more involved in Slow Food LA, and finally feeling rooted in the community. Am I really leaving now? But as I drove away tonight, I was content.

One thing that is encouraging me the most is that one of my first nutrition students, Tatiana, who has since become a friend, came with me to the garden today and will be volunteering in my place each week while I am gone. And as Lisa, a mentor and friend from Slow Food LA reminded me, I am not really leaving, just taking a little 9-month sabbatical of sorts. I will definitely be in touch, and am looking forward to bringing what I learn back to LA. For example, Nicole just heard that she is receiving a donation of a custom-built pizza oven for the garden, so part of my mission will be to do some R&D for pizza recipes while Paul and I are in Italy. That is definitely a mission that I will happily accomplish. After all, how can I be feeling sad? We are moving to Italy of all places!!!

Now, I guess it is time to think about packing!

Others have read of Emily’s efforts to bring nutrition education to working families though the Los Angeles Times’ “Pantry Raid” feature (see here and here and here) and of her role in developing the L.A. Sprouts program for 4th- and 5th-grade students at the Loreto Elementary School.

So it is with pride and affection that we share the news that Emily is about to embark on an exciting journey that will take her away from Slow Food Los Angeles, at least for the remainder of 2010. For the rest of the year, as a Fulbright fellow, Emily will be engaged in a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy. Co-founded by Slow Food International, the UNISG brings together undergraduate and graduate students from around the world to study academic and practical issues related to the business and culture of food. Although we will miss Emily, we’re already looking forward to her return to Los Angeles with a wealth of information and experience.

To shrink the distance between Los Angeles and the UNISG campus, and to let us learn vicariously, Emily has graciously agreed to share stories from her travels with us. We’ll post her updates and photos, and invite you to share your questions with her via the comments section on her posts.

Buona fortuna e buono viaggio, Emily!

We’re also delighted that through a partnership program with Slow Food USA, several sets of cookware and utensils for the program have been provided by Anolon. Anolon’s “Creating a Delicious Future” program benefits many nonprofits and educational organizations through donations of its cookware, utensils, tools, and other kitchen supplies. For L.A. Sprouts, Anolon’s assistance has meant that every student can participate in hands-on lessons, in this and future sessions of the program.

The Garden School Foundation has announced that it will hold a workday on Saturday, February 27th, at the 24th Street School (2055 West 24th Street, in Los Angeles). If you’re interested in contributing to the school’s efforts to develop its garden and are available between 9:00am and noon, please contact Nat Zappia, the GSF Director, at nat [at] gardenschoolfoundation [dot] org.

Volunteers should bring garden gloves, water, sunscreen, and a shovel or pitchfork to help with building new beds and preparing the garden’s 75-foot production bed. Other volunteers will be asked to assist with spring plating and building infrastructure (benches and compost sifters).

For more information about the Garden School Foundation, visit its website or contact Nat Zappia for more information about the organization, its work at the 24th Street School, or how to volunteer time or donate to their efforts.

Master Gardener Lora Hall will lead a hands-on workshop on caring for various types of fruit trees, including pruning and espalier techniques. The workshop will be open to Milagro Allegro gardeners and members of the public who wish to learn more about caring for their own fruit trees.

When: Saturday, February 20, 2010, beginning at 2:00pm
Where: The Milagro Allegro Community Garden, 115 South Avenue 56, Los Angeles 90042 (one block southeast of Figueroa, behind the Highland Theater)
Cost: Free of charge, but a donation to the Garden will be appreciated.

For more information about the Milagro Allegro Community Garden, visit its website at www.hpgarden.org. If you have questions about the fruit tree workshop, contact colleen [at] miss-info [dot] net.

The Gold Standard Food & Wine event is presented by LA Weekly and The Wine House and will feature a selection of 40 of LA’s best and most eclectic restaurants hand-picked by Jonathan Gold. This year’s event will be held in a new, larger location at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Asked how he chooses his favorites, Jonathan said that “…an essential restaurant is one that reflects Los Angeles in a startling and unusual way, that uses fresh local ingredients in a fashion that respects the land in which they were grown, that showcases cooking echoing both foreign-trained chefs’ region of origin and the hypercharged mosaic of the L.A. dining scene.” Sounds like a great definition, and a great event:

When: Sunday, February 28, 2010 from 1:00pm until 5:00pm (VIP early entry begins at noon)
Where: Petersen Auto Museum, 6060 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. Self-parking will be available at the museum lot for $8.00.
Cost: $60 general admission; $80 VIP admission. A portion of the proceeds benefit Heal the Bay and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Tickets can be purchased online or by phone at 1.888.878.9651.

Jonathan Gold has been a food critic for the LA Weekly and the Los Angeles Times, and has been a writer and editor at Gourmet magazine. He currently writes Counter Intelligence, First Bite, Where to Eat Now, and Ask Mr. Gold for LA Weekly, and also contributes to its food blog, Squid Ink. He is the author of Counter Intelligence: Where to Eat in the Real Los Angeles.