Food Stuff

Take gastronomy. Mix in ecology. Blend in conviviality. Add a dash of hedonism. That’s the recipe for the growing slow-food movement. Established in Italy in 1986 and embraced by 65,000 adherents worldwide, slow food celebrates the joy of cooking and the pleasure of eating. By emphasizing food that is local, seasonal and organic, the movement stands in stark contrast to the prevalence of mass-produced, reheatable, pre-packaged, laboratory-tested, soulless food products that dumb down the palate and endanger culinary traditions. Kira O’Donnell, a former pastry chef at Chez Panisse who is now the communications director of UC Davis’ viticulture and enology department, organized a Sacramento chapter of the international Slow Food association last June. The local chapter already has attracted 130 members, who have enjoyed farm tours, food tastings and restaurant outings. To get information about Sacramento Slow Food, send your name and address to kiraodonnell@yahoo.com.