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Monday, July 23, 2007

Slow Food - what does that mean?

The rice in this Sushi from the new SLOW FISH RESTAURANT menu may look and taste as rich as chocolate, but it's the color of healthy Black Rice when cooked. And Black Rice is only one way the Korean SLOW FISH chefs honor SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT principles.


Below is an article from Slow Food website - (June 2007)- all about slow food


Slow Food
So-called “slow food” is gaining ground as an alternative to fast food in Korea, in line with the “well-being” lifestyle boom. The Slow Food Campaign, which sprouted from Italy in the late 1980s, has steadily grown to have more than 70,000 paid members in 45 different countries around the world.

Slow Food Campaign
Slow food is everything that fast food is not. The phrase “slow food” was used for the first time in 1986 by a group of 62 Italians, who launched an anti-fast food campaign, in protest against a McDonald’s in Spain Square in Rome. Delegates from many countries around the world gathered in Paris in 1989 and adopted the “Slow Food Declaration,” officially launching a global slow food campaign. Decisive momentum for the campaign to spread worldwide came when the mad cow crisis occurred in England in the 1990s. Slow Food Korea was founded later in May 2000. The United States, the homeland of fast food, has more than 50 offices for the Slow Food Movement. Approximately 80,000 people from 100 countries around the world are reportedly engaged in the campaign. The international headquarters are located in Piemonte, Italy, and its symbol is the snail.

Slow Food — Healthy Food
The official Korean word for “slow food” was determined to be “Yeoyu-sik.” The Slow Food Movement, based on the “slow-going” philosophy, seeks to standardize tastes and preserve the joy of eating and traditional foods. Professor Kim Jong-duk at Kyungnam University, who founded Slow Food Korea, a local group promoting healthy eating habits, said, “For today’s busy people, who don’t have time to sit and enjoy a full meal, fast food may be an ideal option that keeps them from starving, but it’s crucial to know that the easy meal is also chipping away at their health.” He said fast food is a product of entrepreneurial farming, capitalist culture and profit, and stresses speed and unlimited competition. Slow food, however, is a healthy diet of seasonal foods, produced by family farming. Korea’s traditional foods, such as bean paste, soy sauce, kimchi, salted fish, and rice wine, might be among the healthiest foods in the world and are typical slow foods as well.

Local Food
Local food, also called regional food and related to food patriotism, is similar to slow food. It is a principle of sustainability which relies on consumption of food products that are locally grown. It is part of the concept of local purchasing; a preference for buying locally produced goods and services. Local food opposes the idea of global free trade. Food products at large supermarkets around the world create over-consumption of fossil fuels for long-distance transport, compromised food safety, and damage the incomes of local farming households. Proponents of local food often argue that urban supermarkets are “stops for food and products that are tired from long-distance transport.”

Local Slow Food
Seeking and experiencing local slow foods both home and abroad are becoming yet another tourist attraction worldwide.

Slow Fish restaurant (16051 Bolsa Chica - 714.846.6951) here in Huntington Beach offers slow food and when you order the sushi or entree's expect to be pleasantly surprised at the tastiness of the healthy black rice. This new restaurant is quite the find!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

"Reduce - Reuse - Recycle" Seminar


That was the title of the first seminar put on by The Friends of Shipley Nature Center, Co-sponsored by the City of Huntington Beach and Rainbow Disposal Company. I attended this seminar and it was well worth it. I figured since we are now switching over to the 3 barrel system of trash pickup, I may as well start using what I'm having to separate. We learned the first steps in creating super mulch - why buy your mulch or soil when you can make it yourself! And believe me, our clay ground needs a little help! Added bonus - help save the environment at the same time! There were over 35 in attendance and I'd love to see that number double next time! Rich Flammer of Hidden Resources in San Diego was our instructor. Shipley will be presenting these FREE seminars on the third Saturday of the month (10:00 - 11:30 am) focusing on "backyard composting and how to turn your garden waste into soil enrichments". The next class is August 18 and it is all about worms. (find the info on the calendar at www.thelocalhb.com).

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Blood Drive at Equestrian Center

Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center Blood Drive
In April, the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center teamed up with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive. They successfully received 23 donations. The Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center will be hosting a second blood drive here at their facility on Tuesday, July 10. They will be offering a coupon toward $10 off a trail ride to all participants. The American Red Cross is also offering special prizes for the Warped Tour. This is a great cause, and they welcome the public to come and take part in this event.