This link

from Ruhlman just popped up on my brand spanking new FaceBook page:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/com ... 2815.story

And the title of this article is, "Keep your self-righteous hands off my processed food", and good for Charlotte Allen, the author of this piece.
Alice Waters, who is mentioned in this article, got her butt in a crack by making stupid remarks about what people "must" eat, earlier this year, now 'supported' by a couple of profs with new books and out of touch with reality, but certainly capable of promoting "eliteism". this is worth a read.

Mindless prattle.

I heard her on NPR yesterday. She has something of a point, but I think she was really overstating the positions of a lot of the people she was criticizing. Her big example of how terribly overpriced farmers' markets are involved paying $6 for a pint of artisanal gelato (she does seem to have thing for ice cream and I can hardly blame her for that). That's certainly ridiculous, but that's hardly the kind of thing that Alice Waters is promoting. If you go with the idea of buying fresh vegetables that you're going to cook yourself, then a farmers' market is indeed a good place to get good stuff at a good price. And I don't think see the problem with suggesting that people think about spending more of their disposable income on higher quality food. It's ridiculous to compare cutting back on one's third pair of Nike's with the deprivations of the Great Depression.

As for the problem with locavores, Michael Pollan will cheerfully agree that not everyone lives in a place where such a thing is possible. The idea's not to convert everyone into Michael Pollan, Junior. It's to raise awareness of trade-offs we make between health, nutrition, and the cost of food.

Again, there is a point to be made there. Alice Waters, et al. do come off as somewhat self-righteous. I thought the 60 Minutes profile on her was a bit nauseating. But Allen is basically bloviating against cherrypicked aspects of this whole business, in the tradition of Rush Limbaugh. I'll agree with the "mindless prattle" comment.

[quote="Mike Filigenzi"

As for the problem with locavores, Michael Pollan will cheerfully agree that not everyone lives in a place where such a thing is possible. The idea's not to convert everyone into Michael Pollan, Junior. It's to raise awareness of trade-offs we make between health, nutrition, and the cost of food.[quote]

But it's also true that organic farming and farmers' markets are big growth industries in the US. Our little Midwestern community now supports 3 different farmers' markets so that there is at least one going per day and these markets are packed with consumers during their business hours. I'd guess that no more than 1 out of 10 of those patrons have even heard of Michael Pollan, let alone read anything from him. And probably no more would recognize the name Alice Waters, either.

Mark Lipton

But it's also true that organic farming and farmers' markets are big growth industries in the US. Our little Midwestern community now supports 3 different farmers' markets so that there is at least one going per day and these markets are packed with consumers during their business hours. I'd guess that no more than 1 out of 10 of those patrons have even heard of Michael Pollan, let alone read anything from him. And probably no more would recognize the name Alice Waters, either.

Mark Lipton

It's similar at the market here in Sacramento - I'm actually positive that many of the people here know nothing of Pollan and Waters. (Mostly because the market attracts large crowds of recent Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants. )

The market in Davis is a different story....

I dislike this kind of writing. It's purpose is not to inform, only to trade on all the divisive resentments we seem to thrive on in our current culture. It's shallow. It's drive-by journalism. Media writers and producers have figured out that there is nothing more entertaining and engaging, and nothing that sells advertising better than a good fight, fueled by a dose of conspiracy theory and anger. Just what we need - more anger and resentment. Not understanding, not knowledge, not an expanded point of view, just resentment. The author stops short of calling the likes of Michael Pollan and Alice Waters socialists, but you can hear the temptation. I'm for the common man, these people are elitist snobs she implies. I'm more familiar with Pollan's work than any of the other people she sites, and she completely misrepresents his depth, balance, intelligence, good humor, and fair mindedness. Cherry pick a few quotes and ideas and talk negative. Bullshit I say. Alice Waters, who's mission has been in part to transform the food our children eat in public schools is just a haughty snoot. Right. Look, we all like cheap stuff and I buy cheap stuff, but to ignore the hidden high cost of cheap stuff is short sighted. But of course I am an elitist snob. That's why I'm here on the Forum Kitchen.

Bingo, Bob.