Slow Food in the city of Toronto

Now, there is a BEST THING EVER that isn’t a misuse or a misconception in the English language, it is a little ideal called sustainable local organic agriculture aka the Slow Food Movement.  Slow food has been a growing movement within the world for quite some time now with books such as Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” bringing the fight to the forefront by allowing us to participate the journey from the land to the plate.  Overall, in the past twenty years people have become more and more aware of what exactly we’re putting into our bodies and what we’re taking out by choosing such things as a vegan diet for anything other than a moral belief.  It’s not a surprise that many of the metropolotian papers in cities such as New York, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, San Francisco and Seattle we’re seeing a rise in the advancements of the “Urban Farmer.”

 

Just this week in NOW Toronto (www.nowtoronto.com)  the feature article is do it yourself gardening within the city.  It features not only ideas for urban gardening in your front yard, should you be lucky enough to have one, or even patio gardening for those of us who live in the many high rise buildings that populate Toronto’s landscape.  It offers ideas for not only recession proof agriculture in the (redundancy warning) urban gardening but how to use the free industrial spaces for an ever-growing green alternative that this country seems to embrace. 

 

I’m greeted with these ideas the same month that I picked up a new cookbook written by one of California’s top chefs from the East Bay Area, David Tanis of Chez Panisse fittingly titled “A Platter of Figs.” 

Misuse and Misconception in the English Language

The idea of tackling the Strange One as he adds cheese to an already incredible chicory salad I just made has to be up there on the list of things that could be considered the BEST THING EVER! (There’s more on the Chicory Salad to come.)

 

The term, “Best thing ever,” is a misconception and misuse of the English language that seems to dominate our everyday conversations in recent years.  Now, mind you, I like it only slightly better than groovy and light years more than hella, yet, I can be heard using it.  In my own defense, it’s a statement learned by osmosis. 

 

I have come to learn however that there are particular categories in the use of this term.  We aren’t talking about sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.  We’re talking about that child-like sense of awe in which we find things that for a single moment bring us an air of whimsy borne on a flight of fancy if you will allow me some clichés. We tend to re-live our childhood sense of awesome (not awe, that IS different) in these moments. 

 

Ironically, many of us under the age of thirty-five can list our best things ever in a variety of ways or even in form of a countdown, as Vh1 has so plagued us.  For instance, Jones Soda Strawberry Lime is the BEST SODA EVER! In n’ Out Burger is the BEST FAST FOOD EVER!

 

I think it honestly comes down to being the way that the minds of this generation 

Life Modeling

A little over two weeks ago, I did life modeling.  It was my first time.  There’s a certain energy about Ontario that is awakening adventurous aspects of myself that I never really recognized.  I feel good about myself and I figured, why not.  I didn’t think about it for very long when I was put on the spot by a friend of my former land lady’s. I merely agreed and went on with my day.  Later, I definitely dissected it into little bits of high school biology imagery. 

 

I would not have done if it were not for the tokes of green goodness that were ravaging my system. 

 

I arrived at the gallery in Peterborough that is nearly just across the street from where I used to love called, The Blue Tomato.  It’s a nifty little place with a lot of eccentric art work from local artists including a locally produced comic.  The lady who managed the place lead me downstairs so I could get into my robe before heading upstairs. 

 

I had no idea what I was expecting! And forgot to overthink the expectations as I changed in those few moments I was only hoping that cockroaches didn’t live in the basement of this place.  Finding a pre-historic visitor to my naughty little panties, not such an appealing thought!

 

I put in the back of my mind though.  I had gone upstairs.  There was only a dozen folks waiting for me, sitting in chairs that surrounded a stage.  A STAGE!  Heh. Heh. Heh.

 

Sidenote: I’ve never been on stage but once in my life.  Social anxiety.  It’s not a forgiving beast.  Okay, twice. New York Bartending is definitely a stage! This was to be my third time and you know that fear of being naked on a stage? Yeah. Hi.

 

I’m shaking! If I hadn’t been so stoned that I was worried I’d fall down the stairs if I were to bolt… there’d have been no evidence that I even existed in that place.  It would just be a blur of motion! But, I was stoned and naked and on this stage.  Three deep breaths and three hours of random poses.

 

I’d do it again.  In a heartbeat! The places my mind went were some of the most entertaining and erotic bits of imagery that I’ve shown myself in quite some time.  I think I wanted to literally run to Toronto to tackle the Strange One.