(Re: the politics of food)

[Frances Bolton (PHI)]

On Tue, 18 Aug 1998, Chuck Grimes wrote:
> 
> Also somebody said lavender and squid are impossible. You use the
> herb Provence mix (tarragon, chervil, savory, sage, marjoram, thyme,
> parsley, basil, and LAVENDER)in lemon or lime juice and a little
> extra virgin olive oil/garlic/white wine as a marinade, then bake or
> broil. This works for just about any white fish/shell food. For the
> heavier version add the same herb mix with powered
> garlic/parareka/salt/pepper to an egg/bread crumb batter
> and fry or bake it. The dried lavender is a little like basil or
> rosemary, so the oven heat makes it aromatic.

Well, it's a nice recipe, Chuck, but Brad said the squid was *stuffed*
with lavender. Also, I'm under the impression that herbes de provence has
rosemary, not lavender.   > 

((SNIP))> 
> My theory is that epidemic obesity among the working class/poor is due
> to consuming vast quantities of junk food. In fact, it is a reciprocal
> relationship, since the junk food industry targets the same population.
> Nobody does any CV exercise either--not after working. Results:
> diabetes, heart disease, and stroke--all epidemic for the poor/working
> classes. The only people to escape are immigrants who keep their
> traditional diets (shopping around 6th/Broadway? in asian and mexican
> stores) and of course the marginally employed effete like me. So,
> getting in and staying at near normal weight/shape and out of
> CVA/diabetes risk statistics is a luxury. Or put it another way, these
> diseases are a direct result of capital exploitation of labor.  

I think you're largely right about this, Chuck. I want to add food
availability, though. There's alot of liquor stores in poor neighborhoods,
but no supermarkets. If public transport is bad,it can take a long time to
get to the supermarket. If you have a couple of children, it becomes even
more difficult & expensive. So people end up buying Chef Boy R Dee (sp?)
and white bread at the corner store. The prices in such stores are, of
course, much higher than supermarkets, but it's a captive market. i lived
in Oakland for a while, down near the Nation Burger by the Greyhound
station. Very poor area. Prices at the corner liquor store were obscene,
but the closest supermarket was on Broadway & 50th (around there
anyway)Maybe it was in Emeryville on San Pablo. Either way, it was a bus
ride.  so people ended up paying $.65 for 1/2 pints of milk. I did some
comparison shopping, and prices in my neighborhood store were 30% higher
than they were in the supermarket.

Regaining sight of my point, (oh, yeah, *that*) produce and bulk items
weren't available at the corner store, Canned soup and pasta, chips, and
white bread was about it. And Slim Jims. 

Frances