"New" Year "Old" Diets
I love these simple mottos for eating from food activist and author Michael Pollan:
Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
and
Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.
That’s really all it takes to have a healthy diet, but most of us aren’t satisfied with that, so we search for new “miracle” diets and foods each new year: paleo, gluten-free, high protein, low-carb, juice cleanse, detox, etc.
Do what you need to, but we’re celebrating foods (some local, most not) abundant this time of year that are inherently healthful: grapefruits, oranges, greens, turnips, whole wheat flour (locally ground), and... coffee.
Definitely not locally grown. But locally brewed to perfection. And by increasingly more and more places. At last count, Nashville had over 110 coffee shops, 20% more than other cities our size. So with dark days, cold nights, and lots of bearded baristas, it seemed a good time to explore our coffee culture.
Speaking of dark days and long nights, why not unplug this new year. Spend time in the kitchen kneading dough (our beer bread on page 12), chopping vegetables for soup or making a nice methodical pour-over (page 16). It’s a great place to find yourself….and your kids (if you have some in the picture).
I mention this because I have a new definition of ADD (attention deficit disorder): kids that don’t get enough attention due to parents constant use of cellphones. I see this all the time—at the doctor’s office, the park, in the car—times perfect for conversations with your kids. Speaking of kids:
Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third grader can’t pronounce. Another of Pollan’s food rules.
Happy New Year. I hope it includes plenty of local, seasonal food made with love.
MY RECENT FOOD FINDS
I Told Ya Vitamin C Juice: Cold-pressed combo of orange, grapefruit, pineapple, and lime
Daily Juice in Brentwood
Grilled Porterhouse Pork Chop with Fig Mostarda and Sweet Smashed Potatoes
Tupelo Honey in Cool Springs
Genose-Almond Brioche
Village Bakery and Provisions
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Little Moskos Bake Shop
Walker Creek Toffee
Available in tins and boxes around town
