It's Still About The Food.

This past Sunday's New York Times Magazine was devoted to the politics of food. The entire issue is a good solid month of informative, thought provoking bathroom reading.

I began with Michael Pollan's article, "Farmer In Chief." Pollan has become one of the authorities on this topic as he's authored a number of best-selling books on the current, mixed-up state of the US food policy. The article is structured as Pollan's letter to our future President-elect and outlines how the key campaign platforms of the economy, the environment, the health of our citizens and our national security cannot be solved if we don't pay attention to our current food system. You'll get the history of how we got here and a recommended proposal of how Mr. Future President could put us on a smarter and more viable path. Give it a try - it's a long read and incredibly relevant to all our lives.

Here's the bottom line (or Pollan's "One Big Idea"): "most of the problems our food system faces today are because of our reliance on fossil fuels, and to the extent that our policies wring the oil out of the system and replace it with the energy of the sun, those policies will simultaneously improve the state of our health, our environment and our security."

Now, I am one who gets a bit antsy when I hear about the horrible state of things, anywhere, without recommendations of how I can fix it. And that's the beauty of this article. Pollan spells out in concrete terms how we can make a difference. For example, if all Americans observed one meatless day each week, this "...would be equivalent, in carbon saved, of taking 20 million midsize sedans off the road for one year." WOW!

Okay, not such a big deal, you may be thinking. I can do veggies and ... Problem is, all you can think to make is tofu or beans. And, to make matters worse, you think tofu is bland (which it is) and beans give you gas (debatable - depends on the technique!). That's where Essen comes into the picture. As of January 2009, at least one Essen Class each month will be 100% vegetarian. We'll call them Fossil-Fuel Busters, or FFBs.

We're already ahead of the game as Essen's cooking philosophy is rooted in sun-based foods, not petroleum. And vegetarian classes are nothing new at Essen. Last year's "Holiday" class featured side dishes and desserts and was totally meat-free. By request, many of you have cooked meatless menus at Create Your Essen experiences. Yet we can all do our part to do even more. So look out for FFBs. They'll show up in all of the Essen Classes designed to meet your needs - Menu-based, Puttin' Up or Create Your Own.

Can do.

Yesterday was a banner day for Essen. Almost one year to the day of our "official" launch, we introduced our newest class series, Puttin' Up Parties. Peek below and you'll see the proud canners and their fill of tomato jam and applesauce.

The tomato jam was enjoyed for its uniqueness - a sweet and spicy blend which will definitely warm your insides with toast come winter. Thanks to Dan and Amy of Promised Land Farm for their beautiful, meaty and delicious organic roma tomatoes.

The applesauce was fall at its purest - we cooked down 50 pound of apples (IPM Jonathons, McIntosh and Cortlands from Althouse Farm) with nothing more than a bissel o' water. And then the fun began. Kristen and I rolled out the Applesauce Bar. We presented the group with a tray of "flavor enhancers" including fresh lemons, a variety of sweeteners as well as spices, both familiar and less expected. Each group created their individual flavors and then canned their signature brand of applesauce.

The pace was definitely different from the menu-based Essen Classes. Same organization and overview; however, the Puttin' Up Party was 100% hands-on (more time for gabbing) while a bit more structured in terms of instruction (we sat down around the table and talked through the canning steps while nibbling home-baked cookies). We were able to bring the lesson to life when we finally canned and processed the jam and sauce.

It's a good thing we saved the boxes from the canning jars. Everyone went home with up to 100% more applesauce than we guaranteed. Hmm, some people may actually be looking forward to winter.

Eastern Market Top Ten List

Each Saturday morning between June and October I follow a pretty similar routine: yoga, coffee and Eastern Market.

Eastern Market? No, not a typo. Eastern Market is located in the historic East Side, on King Street just around Shippen. One of the original markets in Lancaster, Eastern Market was resurrected 4 years ago with a goal to provide the surrounding community access to fresh food. What's developed is a gem of a destination that's so much more than the food - handmade artifacts, many done on site, live music (almost always), dance demonstrations and lots of hands-on activites for people of all ages. And there're the smells. Without being cliche, I am transported back to travels around the globe, including Africa and the Middle East, as well as that really rich and aromatic coffee.

So, without over-analysis, here's my Eastern Market Top Ten Reasons you should check them out this Wednesday night or Saturday morning:

#10: It's relatively easy to find parking and it's free.
#9: They have evening hours on Wednesday - 4pm - 7pm.
#8: It's small in size so you can do and see everything and still get out before ...
#7: The surrounding architecture in the neighborhood is breathtaking.
#6: You can find a table and chairs to relax, eat or catch up with friends.
#5: The produce is exceptional - clean and natural.
#4: Great local cheese and baked goods.
#3: Did I mention the beautiful produce?
#2: The community feel is contagious.
#1: Why wouldn't you?

R u doin' it?

Timing is everything.

A year ago at this time, who but your grandmom and farmer neighbor down the street was talking about the number of hours spent sweating while "puttin' up" corn? And green Beans. And jam. And chow-chow. Oh, and don't forget the sauce. Your tummy may have said, "yum," while your brain said, "no way, no how, no time."

Well, wouldn't you know it. Here we are one year later and look how things have changed. Articles on canning, pickling and preserving food are popping up everywhere. Try and pick up a newspaper or lay publication and not find something on this topic. What makes good economic sense also happens to make good economic cents. Living locally, especially when it comes to eating, has become more of a reality than you ever imagined. And so preserving some of our wonderful summer and fall produce for the barren months no longer seems like such a stretch. Canning, freezing, dehydrating are all within our reach. It's also much more fun when you do it with other people.

Join Essen on Sunday, September 21st for our inaugural Puttin' Up Party. Kristen and I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen yesterday and cannot wait to share the amazing things we have in store for you. When was the last time you experienced an Applesauce Bar? We've worked applesauce down to it's simplest, most elegant components and then give you the opportunity to take it back up again - if you choose. We also have an unbelievable tomato surprise since we're still rolling in an abundance of our gentle red friends. Finally, we'll give you the lowdown on canning (hint: the Big Bad Wolf has left the building and there's NO special equipment involved).

You will leave this Essen Class with new found knowledge, confidence and lots of jars of Indian summer to fill your belly on a cold winter's day. See you next week.

And You Think Dinner Is a Challenge ...

For my family, one of the best things about summer is the respite from the daily routines of ... everything. Personally, one of the biggest summer reliefs is the break from the daily grind of packing lunches.

My son's need for predictability and consistency (same menu every day) is countered by my daughter's quest for variety ("What entree did you pack?"). His favorite item is her least liked and vice versa. What's a mom to do?

This past Wednesday's New Era ran an informative piece about creative and healthy kids' lunch box ideas. Check out the article for some new inspiration.

Pickled Pink and Green

I often remind myself how everything comes into perspective when you can appreciate the other side of the table, fence, what have you. While in Chicago, I carved out time to take a refresher on canning and pickling at a local cooking school. I'm so excited for Essen's new classes on preserving food, Puttin Up Parties, I was thrilled to have the chance to see what bit of Chicago preserving lore I could bring to Lancaster.

Twelve of us gathered for the better part of a Saturday. Without exception, all class participants reveled in the camaraderie of doing something good for ourselves and the earth together. My cooking partner, Sheila, and I shared a space with a mother - daughter team. When questioned why Mom (aka Brenda) didn't just teach her daughter, Lee-Po, the how-to's at home, Brenda didn't miss a beat, "It's so much more fun this way."

And it was easy. And we didn't use any special equipment. So join Essen on Sunday, September 21st for the first of our ongoing Puttin Up Parties. You'll fill your larder today and your belly year round.

Chicago On My Mind

Just returned from one week in Chicago. My kids and I were visiting family, including a birthday celebration for my mom. Many of you know my fondness for the city of my youth. Each visit I give myself a huge kick in the rear for not fully appreciating all The Windy City offers when I lived there full-time.

All of our visits include stops at the old favorites - brunch at the neighborhood coffee shop (diner to you East Coasters), perhaps a Cubs game (they lost!) and a swim in the lake. We also try new things - this time we visited Chinatown and the Museum of Science & Industry (I highly recommend the Smart House Exhibit) with dear friends. And we always leave mental space as well as real time for the unexpected. My son and I missed seeing Barack head to Springfield to announce Biden as his running mate by this much. And in the sustainable/foodie category, I found "The Field."

Quoting their website, Outstanding in the Field seeks to "bring together local farmers and food artisans, chefs and winemakers, [as] we explore the connection between the earth and the food on your plate." The picture, above, gives you a vivid understanding why Jim and his team's events are often referred to as "the long table." The dinners are often held on farms in rural communities or outposts of urban areas. The Chicago experience was organized on a thriving city farm, a couple of acres smack dab in the middle of a former, historic disaster in urban planning, The Cabrini Green Project. Quite the compelling story about how we can eat locally and seasonally anywhere, at least for part of the year. Outstanding in the Field will be on the East Coast through the fall. We have a chance to check them out close to home on September 16th in Hamburg, PA. Sounds like Jim needs to learn more about what's happening in Lancaster and allow us the chance to host in 2009. Party bus up Route 61, anyone?!