FOOD

I love to cook for people. The culinary bent comes to me via my grandmother (Doña Luisa), who is a Queen in the kitchen. She’s wonderful at tastes but prolific when cooking for many people. I take to this as well. Cooking tons of food even if it’s just me eating (not so good).
I’ve participated of fabulous dinners or food oriented festivities and events through out my life and want to acknowledge some of the great people-cooks that have inspired me to become better at preparation, learn more recipes, broader types of cuisines and approach cooking without fear: Maureen Justiniano, Gabriel Suau, Alvan Colón-Lespier, Alfredo Ayala (a real bonafide Chef), Ani Schaeffer, Dena Perez García-Lorca, Tatita, Wilo Benet (a real bonafide Chef), Luz Esther Benitez, Paloma Suau, Blanca Lasalle, Javier’s family in Spain and the list does go on... but why the acknowledgment? The praise stems from a dark whole of thoughts that came to me the other day when I received a video with not so good news about food and I just went into this spiral… to me it all connects, so I hope you get.
I think we’ve all been hearing all sorts of news and warnings about the food industry, no secret really. But why did this particular video disturb me and how is it related to the people I just mentioned? I still don’t know really, maybe a bit of nostalgia but I did go into a dark hole of thoughts that began with a deep contemplation about the repercussions of genetically engineered seeds, pesticides and the agro-chemical industry. In this thought all of a sudden I pictured a really nice brunch, lunch, dinner with any of the aforementioned hosts and we, the guests, begin to eat and hair starts growing profusely, or maybe scabs appear around our mouth, or we bleed through our ears, or maybe some of the other guests are already walking around without one eye or a limb but it’s all very normal for everyone so we just keep eating…stuff like that, and it was indeed a bleak imagining. It’s obviously an exaggerated fantasy but some of the news regarding these facts is disturbing and since it doesn’t feel imminent, any of these things could very well happen soon enough, we are living in a “Big Brother” world of sorts…A few weeks back I posted on my Facebook page a NYT OP-Ed column by Nicolas D. Kristof titled, When Our Brains Short-Circuit (published July 1, 09) that sums up as follows, “Evidence is accumulating that the human brain systematically misjudges certain kinds of risks. In effect, evolution has programmed us to be alert for snakes and enemies with clubs, but we aren’t well prepared to respond to dangers that require forethought.” I thought about this when I received news about Codex (codex Alimentarius) during the 4th of July weekend from my friend Mayu. I didn’ t know how to respond, and its taken me this long to figure how to share, but I've been thinking about this because it is out right freaky. But since none of it seems imminent then there is no real cause to worry. But I urge you my friends to read on…for this is all very real.
The video was of a conference with Rima E. Laibow, M.D. from Health Freedom USA.org. She has extensive information about Codex and the website explains why Codex Alimentarius threatens “Americans' health and freedom by restricting natural health care.” Codex Alimentarius (.net) also has a website. There’s a video you can google or find in You Tube where Dr. Rima E. Laibow speaks at length about all this and she mentions Monsanto. Now call me ignorant but I first learned of Monsanto, last year, from an article by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steel (both Pulitzer Prize winners) titled, MONSANTO’S HARVEST OF FEAR and one of it’s section intros sums it up like this: “For Centuries-millennia-farmers have saved seeds from season to season: they planted in the spring, harvested in the fall, then reclaimed and cleaned the seeds over the winter for re-planting the next spring. Monsanto has turned this ancient practice on its head (Vanity Fair May 2008 issue- Madonna on Cover & VF 3rd Green Issue).”
Another incredible speaker is Vandana Shiva (Dena introduced me to her just 2 weeks before I got the Rima E. Laibow, M.D. video about Codex) plenty of information about her on the web and a link to one of her many conferences:
The Future of Food and Seed is here for your viewing: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3833110324043445440

I thought of the various documentaries about the food industry and if you’ve been reading around, then I not need mention them. But all this talk about food, food control, international trade, money, and poisons is all very sad to me and it seems to put a weird dent into all these fabulous appetite oriented festivities I’ve had the chance to experience. I don’t know where it is all going but I’ve written my government and will keep an eye on this, as food is our sustenance.