Spoštovani prijatelji
Izredno sem vesela, da vas lahko obvestim, da je izšla moja prva angleška kuharska knjiga, kateri je priložena še angleška zgoščenka (CD). Zelo sem vesela in upam, da se tudi vi veselite z mano. Če imate kakšnega sorodnika v tujini, vam knjigo zelo priporočam, saj je knjiga, ki je polna dobrih nasvetov o zdravi istrski hrani, res lepo darilo.
Lepo vas pozdravljam.
Emilija
Emilija Pavlič
MUMMY, TEACH ME HOW TO COOK
In a flood of modern cook books this book by Emilija Pavlič stands out. She tells us how healthy living with “live” food that grows around us is. She guides us through the seasons and accompanies us as we travel through the amazing variety provided by nature’s heavily laden table each month. Seasonal food is the law of healthy living in Emilija’s eyes since the human species through evolution adapted to the changing seasons and the local conditions for survival. Naturally a vegetable garden is a must considering healthy food only grows in healthy soil. Homemade food is our doctor.
In this book Emilija takes the role of a teacher at the primary school of cooking and of an expert at the university of natural food which is why both children and adults, housewives and cooking professors can learn from her. The content of the book constantly reminds us of the fact that food is a cultural blessing and part of our cultural heritage, just like buildings, monuments, old books or folk tradition, such as fairy tales and folk stories. The author of this book sees food preparation as some sort of ritual which turns food into a work of art and kitchen into a workshop. “Food is like a painting,” the author writes, and adds: “Sometimes I dance while I cook.” The spiritual joy which accompanies the food-making process gives food the magical characteristic of a gift. Food as a gift! “Holidays should not be empty,” Emilija says, “we should not eat empty food during the holidays.” Food is a symbol of daily joy of giving and the magical power of giving manifests itself in the delicious smell filling the house, arousing our sleeping senses and emotions. It is in this way the house becomes a home and its inhabitants a family, spiritually connected by the meal they share at the table.
As I was reading Emilija’s book I realised more and more how extremely important her mission is. Her book carries important messages for the modern man who is being caught in the menacing whirlpool of economic, energetic, food and health crises. At the very core is the world food crisis which is why Emilija’s book is more than just a cook guide; it is a manual that connects the wisdom of our forefathers to the new culture of survival.
In the last decade the low food prices and supermarket shelves filled with food were the best proof that the food system is a well-oiled machine. Have you ever wondered how you would feel if the supermarket shelves suddenly emptied or the food prices suddenly exploded? Not yet, probably, but it is possible you will have to face that very soon. It will be then that the politicians finally realise that the citizens’ food safety is an important part of national safety. The fact that the food industry is based on cheap energy, especially cheap oil, makes the problem of food safety far more complicated. In 1940 one calorie of fossil fuels gave 2.3 calories of food energy. Today 10 fossil fuel calories are used to produce one single food calorie. We can easily claim that the industrial food literally devours oil and produces greenhouse gas.
We gave up the production and preparation of our own food and put it in the hands of somebody else. This means we gave up control over a large chunk of our lives. The safety of foods is reflecting incompetence and unreliability. Nowadays unblemished food is something mostly present in theory, not in practice. It is for that reason we must radically change our view of food and consequentially, our relationship to it.
When we consider food we must pay attention to all three of its aspects: it is the source of life, a cultural phenomenon and merchandise. If we only favour the economic aspect the process of commoditization of food starts. In that case, only two parameters are relevant: large quantities and low prices. With a mindset like that the biotic quality of food is no longer relevant; the only important factor is the price, everything else is meaningless. We are less and less familiar with the food we eat. The logical consequences are health deterioration and the explosion of degenerative diseases. The main reason for the latter are precisely chronic diseases that have to do with food. Among the top ten causes of death the four main ones are connected to the industrial food: heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. The price for cheap food is too high! In the sixties about 5% of the national income was used by the health department, today that percentage is above 15%, and rising. The public health can in no way improve without removing the health catastrophe, based in low-quality food.
The cheapest food is the food containing most calories, the most processed food is the one being advertised most. But the most processed food is not “live” food, it is like a corpse that has been beautified for the funeral. It is more similar to the exhibits in a wax museum than their live originals. Our ancestors used to say: “The best food is the one that goes bad fastest.” Today UHT milk is being shoved down our throats. How can a mother’s milk, the elixir of a mammal’s life which feeds the human child until it starts walking and talking, be UHT milk? Even white paint has an expiration date!
How much food per field unit can farmers produce? They must produce more and more in order not to survive, or keep enlarging their land. But since farmers abide by the rule of “complete competition” and dealers by the rule of “complete monopoly”, it is obvious that the dealers control the food chain. In 1950 the farmer received 50% of the final price, in 2000 only 10-15%. The nutrition system, which is controlled by dealers, has more and more unpaid “external” expenses and sooner or later it will collapse. While there was still cheap energy, an abundance of water, fertile soil and a variety of traditional crops, the industry of food was flourishing. There was plenty of food, and it was cheap. Now the prices of energy are rising, there is less and less water, the soil is exhausted and the old crops are dying out.
The nature is demanding payment for all the unpaid external expenses. The global nutrition system is so fragile the smallest hit can make it collapse. As the number of possible dangers grows, the possibility of something terrible happening increases as well. Then we will all be horrified by the empty supermarket shelves. When the oil gets too expensive the only solution left will be to go back to traditional farming, using sun energy, just like “in the old times”. In the end this crisis will force us to renew the way of getting food. This is where the message of Emilija’s book comes in: reformation of gardens, small farms and local markets, production and usage inside a local community – short delivery routes. Once again food will be produced according to the principle “by the people for the people”.
An average modern family should use half an hour to prepare lunch! The goal of the industry is to cut that time in half. We have a new line of “portable” foods that can be eaten anywhere, anytime, without any preparation. Are we aware of the fact that this is a programmed murder of homemade food and people’s food safety?
For millenniums food was the reflection of the nature of human communities? The real taste cannot be separated from its place of origin and if people want to preserve that taste, we must also preserve the country where it comes from. Let us realise that something needs to be done for the protection of the ecology of a place where certain food grows. That is the right path to the culture of eating, not complicated recipes with imported products and artificial additives. Family meals are the main ritual for the family. The taste and the smell need to be revived, and as a consequence the loose family ties will be tightened as well.
If your child surprises you with the request: “Mummy, teach me how to cook!” and puts you in a difficult position, read this wonderful book written by Emilija Pavlič, and use the recipes in everyday life. You will get to know the magical powers of homemade food.
Anton Komat
independent researcher
|
Jana 21.08. 2007 
