December 28, 2009

So my sister had an epiphany which changed her life sometime during the past year. Enough that it became her theme for all Christmas gifts. And I still don't understand the true depth, because, although some of the results were evident, she gave us all books to explain the meaning. At some point here I should mention the toppic of the epiphany, but perhaps it is obvious by the title of the blog: food. More specifically, something about how the food we eat affects ourselves on both a molecular and a global level. I can only get that far since I haven't read the books yet. But I can say that it has inspired her to cook more than I think she has in her entire life, being the middle child who then ventured to Manhattan.... and that in itself is a good thing.

So the book I received is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year in Food Life by Barbara Kingslover. In her note, my sister Joc noted that not only did this very book change the way she thought about food, but it changed the way she acted. A book like that is bound to make me think. So in response, here is this blog.

Anyway, I am writing this for you, Joc. Because we don't talk as much as we could. And this way you can get my reactions as I read and learn.

But if this is any sort of omen, the first page I flipped open was talking about the evils of bananas. Can bananas really be evil? I wonder. Bananas saved my life once. Ok, that might be a tad melodramatic, but I have heard Dad tell the story of when, as a toddler, I was imprisoned in the hospital with TUBERCULOSIS and refused to eat anything but mashed bananas. What does that say? And even though you told me the author has a whole section on making concessions, the very first page of the book - the very first paragraph, an excerpt from the book review in the Washington Post, says "you may never be able to eat a (fossil fuel-chomping) banana again." ?!?!?!

Do I dare go forward with this venture???