Bored by beauty

How to prepare a  decent pasta in such a small kitchen

Holiday time! I will take a break next week. Not just to celebrate holiday. I will move to another country. The next time the blog will be written from Milan. Another city means another perspective on Food in the Streets.

The Italians love food. Not in a way that they eat all that is available. No. They know about quality food, locally produced and well prepared. And they know when to eat what.

After food comes television. The Italians love drama. Not only in real live, but preferably on television. Weekly shows are hosted by charming old men who are helped by pretty long legged ladies. We all know about the former president owning a national TV channel.

I am really sure about the cooking qualities of the Italian cooks. But after many visits to websites offering apartments I am not sure about the cooking qualities of the rest of the Italians anymore. I know there are the mamma’s preparing perfect pasta’s. But what about the others?

While looking for an apartment I’ve seen a whole range of kitchens. Going from very small kitchens only foreseeing in a microwave and a two pits electric cooking stove cramped in a corner of the apartment to well equipped kitchens with the size of a small living room. But no matter what type of kitchen it was all of them had a television in or very close to the kitchen.

Off course I know it takes a while for the mamma’s sauce to become as delicious as I like it. She spends hours and hours in the kitchen stirring in a pan every once and a while. And even though I am fascinated by the product they prepare for them it seems to be boring to prepare it. Is this why they have a television for some entertainment?

You will find out more about my experiences with the Italians in the comings months. Enjoy summer holiday!

Dumped

Dutch farmers will bring their surpluses to local food pantries

I mentioned already that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was meant to make sure the Europeans had enough food but worked so ‘well’ that it caused surpluses. During the last decennia some changes in the policy where made to avoid overproduction. It should have caused the European farmers producing enough food to feed their own inhabitants. But nothing is more true than that.

We live in a (officially) capitalist union. When the market wants more, the price will rise. When the price rises, production grows and finally prices can go down again.

Despite the CAP and some protective measurements described by the European Union farmers still have to compete with their colleagues producing goods for prices way below theirs. As long as fuel stays below a certain price and the European wages stay high, it is cheaper to import beans, potatoes, unions and the like from far away countries than producing them ourselves.

These exotic products are a serious threat to the European agriculture. Products produced with a lot of love and efforts are worthless since they are too expensive for the conscious consumer.

Price is just relative. One product can be more expensive than the similar looking one next to it but that won’t say that it will give the producer a better price. A ‘cheaper’ potato from Egypt might have become cheap because of taxes or development money enabling the producer to compete with the EU farmers.

I won’t say you only have to buy produce from your own country even though there are many reasons to do so. I just want to make you aware that the prices on display are not always the real prices. Think twice before you choose.

Food for thought

Vote with your fork! It seems easier to say this than to practice. I guess sometimes you feel really happy when you come home with a bag of locally produced quality food while at other moments you are really content that you have a full bag of foodshopping for almost no costs. What is best to do?

Food is really important in our society. Most of will will probably take the availability for granted. They don’t realize that many is involved to make, transport and sell it. And it is not just an act of commerce. Most of it is politics.

In Europe we have the so called Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This policy is made right after WWII. In this war many Europeans suffered from famine. A period which shouldn’t overcome us again – the EU commission thought. Then a policy was made aimed at producing big amounts of food which would be available at reasonable prices.

This policy functioned so well, that Europe produced way more than it could eat. Surpluses where dumped on the world market for prices way under local market value.  This meant disruption of trade and a lot of waste which we cannot accept in times when sources get scarce. Politicians also became aware of this fact and decided to adapt the policy plan to more up-to-date information. This happened a few times more during the fifty years of the existence of CAP.

Now you will guess what it has to do with foodinthestreets? Well, this policy is responsible for the way most Europeans eat. Apart from some brave small farmers which have decided to go their own way, many adapt their business operation to the policy. Because this means they could receive grants which means at least a basic income.

At this moment the Common Agricultural Policy is a point of discussion again. The policy plan should be renewed by the beginning of 2013 so that the EU member states could start the implementation of the new guidelines. But things are difficult and – as always - a lot of discussion is involved. The plan might not be ready by the end of this year.

Here is your chance to get involved. EU citizens could have a vote in the new CAP plans too. If you think we need more organic food in the supermarket, then ask for it. If you want the farmers to stop using antibiotics, tell them. If you see rural development as an important counterpart of the urbanization, let your (local) government know.

Yes you can vote with your fork! Want to know more? Check here.

Place making

A run down area is now the centre of a large event

What is the most used way to convince a kid to behave the way it should? Yes, to promise him/her some sweets as a compensation. This method doesn’t only work for young people. Adults also accept food as a reward for their efforts.

You probably have read fairytales. When long trips had to be made horses were used to pull the carts. Stubborn or lazy horses needed to be pushed forward. The story goes that the driver attached a carrot to a rod and held this carrot in front of its eyes. The animal (stupid as they can be) kept walking behind the carrot hoping to be rewarded for his effort sooner or later.

People don’t like to go to areas which have a bad reputation. It could be dangerous and usually there is nothing to do except hanging around with the local groups of youngsters. Because no one likes to go there - and even more like to leave - shops have hard times and houses become difficult to sell. This makes the situation even worse.

Policy makers and (local) governments don’t like to have these areas in their cities. They try as hard as possible to prevent an area to become problematic but it isn’t always possible to avoid it to occur. So at the point there seems to be no way back the government needs to work as hard as it can to make a 180 degrees turnover: the area sooner or later will be good again.

Place making. It happened in Soho, New York which used to be an industrial area but is now filled with artists and Chinese shops and very popular by tourists. It also happened in the Jordaan in Amsterdam, once filled with workmen, now only affordable by the rich. And one example we have in the Józsefváros area in Budapest which has gone through a long but successful process of transformation and is loved by young, creative en well-educated people.

The problem with place making is that it usually sends the present inhabitants of the area away and replaces them by richer and higher educated people. This might solve the problem in one area, but definitely creates another one somewhere else. How can this be changed?

Now food seems to be the solution for everything it is also used to get people into difficult areas again. Policy makers also have realized this. But what they haven’t thought of yet is that food could be the perfect way to bring present en future inhabitants together. It can help to bring them closer; food is something we all need. When we share a meal, we share a culture, a history and a future. So let’s make some place and meet your new neighbors!