review was barely so: “Who IS this woman?” I don’t necessarily agree with reviewers, but after perusing Powell’s book in Barnes and Noble’s café, I decided to take a pass. Totally self-absorbed, eager to tell-all about her adulterous – some anonymous – affairs, she illustrates why Child recognized that she had little substance, more interested in jump-starting celebrity than working hard to achieve something.
“The high price of cheap food,” 6/24: One of the most interesting – and disturbing – parts of this feature article was about the slaves who work in Florida’s Immokalee region, the area that produces 90 percent of America’s tomatoes between December and May. The region’s chief district attorney, Douglas Molloy, said it’s “ground zero for modern slavery” and that it’s a certainty that most fresh tomatoes eaten by Americans in winter have been picked by slaves. Much of my information about that deplorable state of affairs came from an article in the March, 2009, issue of Gourmet.
In an interview shortly after Gourmet’s demise, editor Ruth Reich pointed to that article, The Price of Tomatoes, as something she was particularly proud to have published, and said it had brought about substantial changes. Barry Estabrook, the article’s author, shared with me (even in the midst of battling swine flu) some of those “concrete[ly] good changes”:
After reading the article, the president of Bon Appetit Management (a national food service company, not the magazine) visited Immokalee, saw what was going on, and said he would not buy Florida tomatoes unless things improved. Since then, Whole Foods has joined him.
Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist agreed to meet with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and came out in support of fair labor conditions. He is the first Florida governor to do so since the CIW has asked for a meeting. [Estabrook says that Crist, a moderate Republican, has national ambitions, and wants to distance himself from labor abuse issues.] Last, but the most significant (“huge” according to Estabrook), is a move by the East Coast Growers group (once one of the tightly knit band of big, bad tomato producers). It broke ranks with its peers and announced that it has signed on to CIW’s fair labor deal. With a guaranteed supply of fair tomatoes, Compass, the country’s biggest food service company, said it would source its tomatoes only from East Coast and other growers who sign on.
“Cooking for man’s (or your) best friend,” 2/25: Our puppy, Toulouse, has celebrated his first birthday. He’s no longer tearing up everything in sight – our furniture is safe again, and though his toys are scattered around, the floor is no longer a land mine. His favorite treat is braunschweiger, though he’s not averse to most table scraps. Peter and I knew we’d truly gone over the edge when we saw a display of Halloween dog costumes and immediately began discussing which would be cutest on him.
“Pairing beer with food,” 1/7: The number of American artisinal beers continues to expand, and top chefs are pairing fine beers with fine food like never before: chefs such as Chicago’s Paul Kahan, whose restaurant, Publican, is packed every night. Peter and I visited the New Glaurus Brewery in Wisconsin last summer (sadly, its extraordinary beers are only available in-state); the brewery was as beautiful and elaborate as any winery we’ve ever visited; we brought home a trunkfull. In Illinois, a notable newcomer is Goose Island’s Matilda. It’s a bit pricey: around $10 for a four-pack, but well worth it, and locally available.
Best wishes for a happy and fulfilling new year!
Contact Julianne Glatz at [email protected].
