This Thursday at Fort Mason, Carlo Petrini, reigning king of the Slow Food Movement, will be discussing something along the lines of “Slow Food and Why It’s A Good Idea”. He’ll also be publicizing his new book, Slow Food Nation: A Blueprint for Changing the Way We Eat
Slow food is a movement that has grown in response to our fast-paced instant gratification culture (much like the Long Now itself!):
Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
Slow Food Fans include Alice Waters, owner of Berkeley Favorite Chez Panisse; Deborah Madison, co-founder of Green’s Restaurant, and a host of people familiar to anyone who reads Gourmet Magazine religiously.
Members meet in regional convivia (a sumptuous name for a sumptuous discussion) to discuss biodiversity, local produce, sustainable farming practices, slow food in schools, and other issues. Members also sacrifice themselves in the name of science by sampling slow cuisine and wine.
There are meetings and events all over the country, most notable for San Franciscans is The Golden Glass, coming up in June. Eat and drink in the name of sustainability and cultural preservation, and learn more about what you can do to make slow food a part of everyone’s diet.
