Vincent van Gogh, Wheat Field with Crows, 1890

Our personal relationship with food is the most honest expression of ourselves that exists anywhere in our lives, for our most fundamental philosophies and opinions about life are represented in how we choose to fuel our bodies. More than our religious beliefs or our jobs or careers or hobbies, more than our homes or what we put in them, even more than what we wear or how we look, what we eat is the essence of who we are, just as Brillat-Savarin famously quipped two centuries ago.¹ Food is life and life revolves around food, no matter whether you are more interested in simply abating the annoyance of hunger or seeking out the creations of the world’s best chefs. For both extremes and for everyone in between, our food choices tell the genuine story of our identity.

This is not only true for individuals, but for each and every grouping in which people associate with one another, from nuclear families to neighborhoods and nationalities. The effort we put into planning a meal is intrinsically connected to the government’s deployment of tax dollars in the food system. I am interested in how the variables work together, and the implications of change. This blog will be where I confront these issues.

So, the plan. I am a ponderer. I like to take time to prepare and think things through. A reasonable expectation for myself is to make a weekly post (HA!) on something I find interesting in the world of food. There will be categories, of course, but I presume they will take shape as the posts accumulate. I will cite sources, resulting in a list of trusted news and reference sites (and other media) in order to ensure that my musings are based upon good evidence. I also welcome constructive dialogue, if anyone is inclined to participate. Ultimately, I want to contribute to ongoing conversations about food policies, both public and private. I see food as a lens through which we can examine our very humanity. Food is important. Food is intriguing. Food is supremely satisfying. Time to dig in.

¹ “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” Brillat-Savarin, J.A. (1825) Physiologie du Goût, ou Méditations de Gastronomie Transcendante. Translated by Anderson, R.E. (1877) Gastronomy as a fine art, or, The science of good living : A translation of the “Physiologie du goût” of Brillat-Savarin. London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly.