On Making the Food Revolution Our Own

Taking a cue from my favorite celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, I did something unique this Mother’s Day. I enjoyed watching Oliver’s recent Food Revolution series on TV, often watching in disbelief and chagrin as I saw families who relied completely on processed food because they lacked the basic cooking skills needed to prepared healthful food. However, I know that Oliver’s goal involves not only looking outwards at society’s worst-case examples, but also inside our own homes at how we can improve ourselves. Somewhere along the line, I realized that my own little brother, sister and father probably wouldn’t be able to survive on their own if my mom wasn’t around to cook for them.

Yesterday, I went over to my parent’s house with a plan and a bag of fresh ingredients, and I organized a team of chefs. I had everyone doing prep work first (grating cheese, chopping garlic, slicing bread, etc.), then handling a specific dish. Together, we made whole-grain spaghetti with meat sauce and freshly grated parmesean cheese (no more canned Kraft), tossed green salad, balsamic vinaigrette from scratch, sauteed asparagus, and a garlic/herb butter that we spread on fresh pugliese bread and warmed in the oven.

My mom loved the meal, and best of all, I felt like my family had gained a basic life skill that they will be able to draw on in the future as needed. They loved the way the result of their labor tasted, and all commented that it was easier than they thought. That’s what the Food Revolution is all about! Cheers, Jamie!