Okay I give in, I'm moving to Seattle.
http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/02/21/its-not-fairytale-seattle-build-nations-first-food-forest
A free food forest.
So much yes.
The funny thing is people are acting like this is so revolutionary, when really this is how the world was before humans got a bad case of the gimmie gimmies and we locked up all our food. Nonetheless it is awesome that someone out there is thinking rationally for a change!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Industrial Organic Yea or Nay?
So I finally made it to a Baja Fresh.
Let me just start off by saying: the food was bangin.
I was like:
Seriously it was great especially the guacamole.
But.
There's always a but.
Anyways, eating there had me questioning a few things. The first being, is this an example of the industrial organic phenomenon Michael Pollan described in "The Omnivore's Dilemma"? I guess I could concisely answer that with a solid "Maybe." You see the restaurant does indeed serve unfrozen meat, cheese, and veggies, doesn't use microwaves and helps the environment, etc. The food tasted fresh and was good. But there was a glaring issue staring me in the face. This was in fact a fast food joint like any other.
A fast food joint owned by the company that owns Denny's
And was once owned by Wendy's.
Ok, before I condemn it for being another soulless fast food place I have to ask myself another question. Is it SO bad that a fast food place is trying to be organic and fresh? I mean, they're trying right? How can that be bad? I've often fantasized about a drive up or take out restaurant that sold great mostly healthy foods. Places like Baja Fresh, Panera and Chipotle are making people aware of their food and seem to be attempting to make a difference while still keeping things going at lunch time speed. Its kind of a neat concept.
Here's where the but comes in again, and I ask my third and final question:
Is this just a soulless corporation capitalizing on people's desire to be part of the whole food movement without actually being part of the whole food movement?
Yes. Duh.
But, realistically, that's how business works right? Again, is that really a bad thing? When I start my restaurant that's going to be my business model as well. The clientele will probably be unshaven yuppstarts and old hippies. I have no problem saying that. If we look at it in a Machiavellian way, it's an end to justify the means. People want fresh food, so the corporate world is giving them fresh food. Its a good thing essentially. Of course things get more complicated the bigger the business gets and the place kind of loses its soul and we're eating "grass fed local" beef that was raised with a hundred other steers in a tiny pen with two blades of grass in it three states away.
So I guess what I'm saying is: I still maintain growing, catching, raising, cooking, and eating your own food is paramount. Keeping abreast of what you're eating and where it comes from is pretty swell too.
But I mean if you wanna eat out sometimes, this isn't a bad place to go.
And yes, I said abreast.
lol
Cheers,
-M
Let me just start off by saying: the food was bangin.
I was like:
Seriously it was great especially the guacamole.
But.
There's always a but.
Anyways, eating there had me questioning a few things. The first being, is this an example of the industrial organic phenomenon Michael Pollan described in "The Omnivore's Dilemma"? I guess I could concisely answer that with a solid "Maybe." You see the restaurant does indeed serve unfrozen meat, cheese, and veggies, doesn't use microwaves and helps the environment, etc. The food tasted fresh and was good. But there was a glaring issue staring me in the face. This was in fact a fast food joint like any other.
A fast food joint owned by the company that owns Denny's
And was once owned by Wendy's.
Ok, before I condemn it for being another soulless fast food place I have to ask myself another question. Is it SO bad that a fast food place is trying to be organic and fresh? I mean, they're trying right? How can that be bad? I've often fantasized about a drive up or take out restaurant that sold great mostly healthy foods. Places like Baja Fresh, Panera and Chipotle are making people aware of their food and seem to be attempting to make a difference while still keeping things going at lunch time speed. Its kind of a neat concept.
Here's where the but comes in again, and I ask my third and final question:
Is this just a soulless corporation capitalizing on people's desire to be part of the whole food movement without actually being part of the whole food movement?
Yes. Duh.
But, realistically, that's how business works right? Again, is that really a bad thing? When I start my restaurant that's going to be my business model as well. The clientele will probably be unshaven yuppstarts and old hippies. I have no problem saying that. If we look at it in a Machiavellian way, it's an end to justify the means. People want fresh food, so the corporate world is giving them fresh food. Its a good thing essentially. Of course things get more complicated the bigger the business gets and the place kind of loses its soul and we're eating "grass fed local" beef that was raised with a hundred other steers in a tiny pen with two blades of grass in it three states away.
So I guess what I'm saying is: I still maintain growing, catching, raising, cooking, and eating your own food is paramount. Keeping abreast of what you're eating and where it comes from is pretty swell too.
But I mean if you wanna eat out sometimes, this isn't a bad place to go.
And yes, I said abreast.
lol
Cheers,
-M
Friday, May 31, 2013
The Joy of Cooking and other bedtime stories
Just a little light reading.
A little obsessed with the wood fired oven idea.
Why?
Just imagine: it's 5 am, you've been up since three making sure the oven is fired and hot and getting your dough ready. Its just you, your cup of tea, and maybe someone special, watching the sunrise, hearing the birds wake up, smelling the warm moist smell of bread starting to bake. It's bliss.
That's my idea of a good time folks.
Cheers
-M
NOM!
Frozen Mango, Blackberry Cassis, and Vanilla mosaic. Art AND food! I'm definitely trying this out before the summer is through! (From the Epicurious cookbook, which is really neat and different if you happen to be looking for a new cookbook!)
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Stop Hating on the Staff of Life
Soapbox warning!
My fellow blogamericans,
Please, for the love of God, please stop eating "health food."
Stop shunning traditional flavors in favor of out of season, out of locality, wildly unsustainable "superfoods."
Stop counting calories.
Stop hating carbohydrates.
Stop following fad diets.
Stop denying yourself.
Stop saying no to foods history has proven to be good for you.
And above all, stop hating on the Staff of Life.
That's right. This whole new attack on bread is ridiculous. It started in the early 2000's with the anti-carb craze and now we're terrified of wheat, whey and gluten. As a nation we have become afraid of grain. Yes, some people are highly intolerant to whey and gluten. No, you are probably not. You are probably just eating too much bad bread and for that matter, bad food.
Here's the skinny folks: the only thing that hurts your stomach, the only thing that makes your skin bad, the only thing that makes you fat, and the ONLY thing you should be AFRAID of is the astronomical amount of PROCESSED FOOD we are all ingesting as a country.
Here's a description of the effects of good hearth baked bread from "The Bread Builders" by Daniel Wing and Allen Scott.
My fellow blogamericans,
Please, for the love of God, please stop eating "health food."
Stop shunning traditional flavors in favor of out of season, out of locality, wildly unsustainable "superfoods."
Stop counting calories.
Stop hating carbohydrates.
Stop following fad diets.
Stop denying yourself.
Stop saying no to foods history has proven to be good for you.
And above all, stop hating on the Staff of Life.
That's right. This whole new attack on bread is ridiculous. It started in the early 2000's with the anti-carb craze and now we're terrified of wheat, whey and gluten. As a nation we have become afraid of grain. Yes, some people are highly intolerant to whey and gluten. No, you are probably not. You are probably just eating too much bad bread and for that matter, bad food.
Here's the skinny folks: the only thing that hurts your stomach, the only thing that makes your skin bad, the only thing that makes you fat, and the ONLY thing you should be AFRAID of is the astronomical amount of PROCESSED FOOD we are all ingesting as a country.
Here's a description of the effects of good hearth baked bread from "The Bread Builders" by Daniel Wing and Allen Scott.
"Nutritionally this bread will excercise your digestive system from your teeth and tongue to your colon.
The yeast and bacteria from the sour leaven will provide B vitamins and biotin...If the bread contains whole grain flour, the soluble and insoluble fiber in the bran will help control the absorption of fats and cholestorol, and will reduce the rate at which sugars are absorbed after a meal. Bran will retain water in the gut and stimulate the bowel, increasing transit speed and reducing the gut walls exposure to toxins, some of which will be detoxified by antioxidants from the bran and germ. Natural fermentation pre-digests bran so that its minerals and vitamins are more available for absorption, despite the increased bowel transit rate."
Now, how in the world could that be "unhealthy?" Sounds pretty damn healthy to me.
(Disclaimer, as an academic I implore you not to believe everything you read, not even me or any book I quote from. But if you can, try a slice of hearth bread and see if you feel a difference, ok?)
The bottom line is, people, that life is short. Eat what you want but keep everything in moderation. I could die tomorrow and I don't intend my last meal to taste like cardboard because Dr. Oz said it would help me lose weight. I'm gonna eat some meat, cheese, and bread like a boss.
And, no, eating whatever you want is not just for skinny bitches who got lucky with good metabolisms.
Its simple lifestyle:
Grow, pick, catch, cook, bake your own meals with good, local, in season ingredients. And if you can't do that figure out where you can buy from people that do.
Make time to work out any way you can. Walk, run, bike, play tennis, climb Mount Everest, whatever as long as you're active.
Stop listening to stupid people on TV. Start listening to yourself.
Make time to enjoy your life and your food. Its important, I promise you.
And
Stop hating on good foods, especially bread: it's the staff of life for a reason.
Just sayin,
Cheers
-M
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Let's Play 20 Questions
20 Questions from the SBA website to answer before starting a business:
1.) Why am I starting a business?
Besides wanting to make some money, I want to follow my passion and be my own boss.
2.) What kind of business is it?
I would like to start with a foodtruck or a stand and eventually have a full fledged restaurant.
3.) Who is my ideal customer?
Yuppies.
No, but seriously my clientele would be pretty much anyone who's up for a good fulfilling meal made from fresh ingredients. Which most of the time is yuppies but oh well.
4.) What products and services will my business provide?
Good food and a great, lasting experience.
5.) Am I prepared to spend the time and money needed to get my business started?
Let me just say I am 23 years old with 3/4ths of a college degree that I can't seem to finish and work like a dog to make a little money which I spend on rent and bills. I live by myself and don't have all that much of a social life to begin with. I'm sick of the first two things and I could do with or without the latter so I guess what I'm saying is I have nothing to lose and...
I got this.
6.)What differentiates my business idea form others on the market?
Does it have to be different? I'm in the business of feeding people, a business so old there's not really much left to differentiate. The only thing that would really make On The Way stand out is the level of care and dedication put into the food, atmosphere, and customer service.
7.) Where will my business be located?
Anywhere the wind blows! If I had a foodtruck I'd be bombin around town feeding people errwhere. Well, errwhere the local laws and regulations allow. If I had a stand I'd like to have it on a main street or by a park of some kind.
8.) How many employees will I need?
Probably just myself at this point to reduce overhead but eventually will need probably two more people to help bake and cook.
9.) What type of suppliers would I need?
Here's the sticky wicket. I would very much like to use only locally grown produce, meat, and breads or I would make my own. But since that is an expensive option, it will drive my prices up which is something I don't really want to do because I would like to make good food accessible to everyone. That's the challenge I face.
10.) How much money will I need to get started?
That's a doozie! A good food truck costs about $18-20,000 plus the cost of food and permitting fees and insurance. So probably about $30,000, which actually is not as bad as a full fledged restaurant's start up costs.
11.) Will I need to get a loan?
Nah, I'm totally independently wealthy I just like to pretend I'm poor....so, yes.
12.) How soon will it be before my products and services start making a profit?
Probably not after a good bit of trial and error. I'm thinking realistically not for at least, at least a year or so. : /.
13.) Who is my competition?
I've never seen a food truck in Culpeper, but there are several stands which sell bbq and smoothies.
14.) How will I price my product compared to my competition?
I'd like to say I'd keep them a little lower to start off with but I don't know if that's a feasible business model.
15.) How will I set up the legal structure of my business?
Oh dear lord, I'm getting me a law-yer to deal with that nonsense.
16.) What taxes do I need to pay?
Let's see there's VA food tax, sales and use tax, and income tax.
17.) What kind of insurance do I need?
Vendor insurance, plus car insurance for the vehicle.
18.) How will I manage my business?
LIKE A BOSS.
19.) How will I advertise my business?
Social media, newspaper, business cards and the truck itself will be advertisement.
20.) How soon will my products be available?
As soon as they come out of the oven!
So obviously I have a lot to think about. Turns out I can just pitch up a roadside lemonade stand like in the old days. Darn. There's going to be a lot of leg work before this business is even half way off the ground. But I can do it. I have to do it. I will do it.
I just remember a good mantra:
You are as your deep driving desire is.
As your desire is so is your will.
As your will is so is your deed.
As your deed is so is your destiny.
– Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
So in other words...
Wish me luck!
Cheers,
-M
1.) Why am I starting a business?
Besides wanting to make some money, I want to follow my passion and be my own boss.
2.) What kind of business is it?
I would like to start with a foodtruck or a stand and eventually have a full fledged restaurant.
3.) Who is my ideal customer?
Yuppies.
No, but seriously my clientele would be pretty much anyone who's up for a good fulfilling meal made from fresh ingredients. Which most of the time is yuppies but oh well.
4.) What products and services will my business provide?
Good food and a great, lasting experience.
5.) Am I prepared to spend the time and money needed to get my business started?
Let me just say I am 23 years old with 3/4ths of a college degree that I can't seem to finish and work like a dog to make a little money which I spend on rent and bills. I live by myself and don't have all that much of a social life to begin with. I'm sick of the first two things and I could do with or without the latter so I guess what I'm saying is I have nothing to lose and...
I got this.
6.)What differentiates my business idea form others on the market?
Does it have to be different? I'm in the business of feeding people, a business so old there's not really much left to differentiate. The only thing that would really make On The Way stand out is the level of care and dedication put into the food, atmosphere, and customer service.
7.) Where will my business be located?
Anywhere the wind blows! If I had a foodtruck I'd be bombin around town feeding people errwhere. Well, errwhere the local laws and regulations allow. If I had a stand I'd like to have it on a main street or by a park of some kind.
8.) How many employees will I need?
Probably just myself at this point to reduce overhead but eventually will need probably two more people to help bake and cook.
9.) What type of suppliers would I need?
Here's the sticky wicket. I would very much like to use only locally grown produce, meat, and breads or I would make my own. But since that is an expensive option, it will drive my prices up which is something I don't really want to do because I would like to make good food accessible to everyone. That's the challenge I face.
10.) How much money will I need to get started?
That's a doozie! A good food truck costs about $18-20,000 plus the cost of food and permitting fees and insurance. So probably about $30,000, which actually is not as bad as a full fledged restaurant's start up costs.
11.) Will I need to get a loan?
Nah, I'm totally independently wealthy I just like to pretend I'm poor....so, yes.
12.) How soon will it be before my products and services start making a profit?
Probably not after a good bit of trial and error. I'm thinking realistically not for at least, at least a year or so. : /.
13.) Who is my competition?
I've never seen a food truck in Culpeper, but there are several stands which sell bbq and smoothies.
14.) How will I price my product compared to my competition?
I'd like to say I'd keep them a little lower to start off with but I don't know if that's a feasible business model.
15.) How will I set up the legal structure of my business?
Oh dear lord, I'm getting me a law-yer to deal with that nonsense.
16.) What taxes do I need to pay?
Let's see there's VA food tax, sales and use tax, and income tax.
17.) What kind of insurance do I need?
Vendor insurance, plus car insurance for the vehicle.
18.) How will I manage my business?
LIKE A BOSS.
19.) How will I advertise my business?
Social media, newspaper, business cards and the truck itself will be advertisement.
20.) How soon will my products be available?
As soon as they come out of the oven!
So obviously I have a lot to think about. Turns out I can just pitch up a roadside lemonade stand like in the old days. Darn. There's going to be a lot of leg work before this business is even half way off the ground. But I can do it. I have to do it. I will do it.
I just remember a good mantra:
You are as your deep driving desire is.
As your desire is so is your will.
As your will is so is your deed.
As your deed is so is your destiny.
– Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
So in other words...
Wish me luck!
Cheers,
-M
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Wow the government can be helpful!....Sometimes....
Anyway this is a pretty decent website and helpful resource for anyone starting a new business in Virginia:
http://www.sba.gov/content/entrepreneurship-you
And this is a neat little PDF explaining rules and regulations of food trucks in VA:
http://www.vdh.state.va.us/lhd/chesapeake/EH%20FORMS/Mobile%20Food%20Unit%20Operation%20Guide%20.pdf
And this is a sweet food truck website (I WANT ALL OF THEM):
http://fastfoodtruck.com/trucks/18-feet-trucks/
And this is Gordon Ramsay having dinner with a turkey:
Because, yeah.
Cheers,
-M
Anyway this is a pretty decent website and helpful resource for anyone starting a new business in Virginia:
http://www.sba.gov/content/entrepreneurship-you
And this is a neat little PDF explaining rules and regulations of food trucks in VA:
http://www.vdh.state.va.us/lhd/chesapeake/EH%20FORMS/Mobile%20Food%20Unit%20Operation%20Guide%20.pdf
And this is a sweet food truck website (I WANT ALL OF THEM):
http://fastfoodtruck.com/trucks/18-feet-trucks/
And this is Gordon Ramsay having dinner with a turkey:
Because, yeah.
Cheers,
-M
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