Ashlyn Brady Author: Foodie Week

Friday, 24 June 2016

Foodie Week

Palaeo-diets aside, the food we eat today is not the same as our ancestors. Scientists, GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) supermarkets and corporations now significantly control the food chain. Changes made to food by big business have led to big changes in people's health. For example, millions of Americans now suffer Celiac disease, food allergies and related autoimmune problems. Some people think GMO and modern wheat is slowly killing us.

I think it’s a natural law of the earth that what supports life--lasts, and what doesn’t support life--eventually fails. In their own ways, some people are taking back control of the food they eat.

Raising chickens in backyards.

Planting fruit trees and vegetable gardens.

Permaculture gardening.

Organic gardening.

Community gardens.

Roof gardens.

Balcony potted plants.

Footpath gardens which might include food crops that are shared among resident in the streets.

Collecting rain water.

Last week I wrote about “Lizard Brain”, the primeval thinking part of the brain that looks out for our survival. Yes, food and water are necessary to sustain the body. But food can mean a whole more. Food is a creature comfort that can change our mood and give us a sense of well-being. Food is one of the simple pleasures in life.

Feeling good!

Coming up on my Google + site, I’m going to have a foodie week. I’ll post articles about two new ideas for coffee. Waking up to a hot coffee by your bedside. Have you heard about deconstructed coffee? It’s news to me, but in Melbourne it’s a hipster trend.

I’ll have some recipes to whip up in the kitchen. Both of my kids love watching The Great British Bake-off on television. I’m not sure why, and so far the baking show far hasn’t led to any spontaneous rising from the sofa and heading to the kitchen to cook something. Just lots of ‘I’m hungry’ vocals and ‘I like that’ comments. Earlier this year, the kids called me to watch an episode about cooking stained glass biscuits. I was captivated by the idea of a biscuit with a hollow shaped center that’s filled with a hard-boiled lolly to give a stained glass window effect. I found a recipe to try.

Finally, did you know the mature cheese on top of your pasta meal, might not be any old cheese. There’s an Italian cheese bank where cheese is valued like gold and stored in a refrigerated bank vault.

I hope you can join me again on G+. Before I go, there have been some wonderful Solstice sunrises in the outback. I took some photographs on Monday and Wednesday morning.