Our May 2013 Potluck Dinner Meeting - Intro to our Chapter & the Work of Dr. Weston A. Price

by Karen Voelkening-Behegan

Our May potluck dinner meeting included plenty of homemade entrées and side dishes, all made from organic or home-grown ingredients.  With over 20 in the crowd and about 6 "newbies" among us, we introduced ourselves over dinner and told how we found the Weston A. Price Foundation.  Common threads were our health concerns and everyone's improvements since adopting a traditional diet.  After a friendly and relaxed dinner on the patio under a canopy of trees, we moved upstairs for a slide show presented by fellow member, Sam Cooper.

Our Speaker for the Evening, Sam Cooper, the Urban Forager

Sam gave a lively presentation based on Sally Fallon's introduction to traditional diets and the work of Weston A. Price. Incorporating his own experiences, he did a great job condensing Sally's all-day talk to 1.5 hours, presenting with both passion and humor.  It was a perfect night for beginners to get an introduction to nutritional and health aspects of selecting and preparing food in a traditional manner.  Favorite topics included healthy fats, fat-soluble vitamins, sprouted nuts, seeds, and grains, raw and fermented foods, grass-fed and wild meats complete with organ meats, and plenty of pastured dairy, both raw and cultured.   We also reflected on the damages to our health caused by the highly processed and denatured Standard American Diet (SAD) with nutrient-poor foods, chemical additives, and improper preparation techniques.  Sam's personal experiences also highlighted the dangers of MSG, and how he was able to achieve a much healthier weight after he dropped processed foods and adopted traditional ones.  Sam's take-home message:  Don't be a food evangelist, just shoot for a ratio of 80 percent to 20 percent traditional foods to nontraditional foods, and you'll see a huge improvement to your overall health!

Thank you, Sam, for taking ownership of Sally's presentation and bringing to life the valuable messages of Weston A. Price.  As one inspired participant put it, "I like real good food that's good and real!"  

Best wishes to Sam as he moves back to Arkansas with plans to start another chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation.  With his experience, enthusiasm, and great presentation, he's sure to be an excellent leader.

Don't forget to mark your calendar for our next potluck dinner meeting on Thursday June 27th, when we'll learn all about Kombucha with Kombucha Mamma, Hannah Crum.

~ Your Chapter Leader, Karen

Recap of April 2013 Potluck Dinner Meeting - Our 3rd Anniversary, Our New Chapter Co-Leader, & American Meat

Theresa Cardinali & Karen Voelkening-Behegan showing off
Terry's 3rd Anniversary cake for the Pasadena Chapter of the
Weston A. Price Foundation. 

With 15-20 people in attendance, we all enjoyed another tasty meal in true potluck style.  This time the selections comprised mostly cold foods including a variety of salads, some sauerkraut, raw cheeses and meats, and some fresh fruit.  The one warm exception was a flavorful mixed grass-fed meat stew prepared by Aaron Zober in the spirit of our film of the evening, American Meat.  For dessert, upon special request, Theresa Cardinali prepared a moist and raw honey-sweetened gluten-free carrot cake to celebrate the 3^rd anniversary of our 1^st chapter meeting on Earth Day 2010.   Thanks, Terry for another great dessert!

Aaron Zober, new Co-Leader of the
Pasadena CA Chapter of the
Weston A. Price Foundation

To further recognize our 3^rd anniversary and the steady growth of our chapter over the last 3 years, I also announced that our chapter will be welcoming a new Co-leader, blogger and host of the Appropriate Omnivore weekly internet radio show, Aaron Zober.  Aaron will be a wonderful addition to our chapter leadership, as he is very devoted to our cause, hard-working, and well-connected with many folks in the Real Food community.

Welcome aboard, Aaron, and congratulations on becoming our chapter’s first Co-leader!  We will post more about Aaron and his work with our chapter in the months to come!

Finally after a relaxed and friendly dinner hour, the group convened to the community room upstairs for the film, American Meat.  If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it for its compassionate message of hope.  Unlike many films full of doom and gloom about the woes of conventional farming and the dangers of the Standard American Diet (SAD), this film provides thoughtful interviews of farmers on both sides of the fence!  It explains the simple economic truths of both conventional and traditional/sustainable farming models, and offers a very inspiring message:  Positive change is underway, and we can continue to move forward towards a better future simply by encouraging more young people to take up traditional farming.  The whole idea is to re-establish a nationwide system of community-based sustainable agriculture.  For more on the film, please see the trailer.

Thanks to all who attended our Third Anniversary meeting!

We hope to see you at our next chapter meeting, and don’t forget to attend the upcoming March against Monsanto happening in locations all around the world on May 25^th 2013.  Let’s keep Real Food alive!

Your Chapter Leader,

~ Karen

Recap of March 2013 Potluck Dinner Meeting - Biodynamic Composting with Jack McAndrew

Our March potluck dinner meeting took place at my home in Sierra Madre.  With about 25 guests in attendance, we learned how to make biodynamic compost from local expert Jack McAndrew.  Jack was formally introduced by one of his students and protégés, fellow WAPF member, Susan Hardman.  Susan gave us some helpful background information during a brief slide show about the history of biodynamic composting in the tradition of philosopher and Waldorf School founder, Rudolph Steiner.  Another one of Jack’s protégés, Stefan Hagopian of Skyline Organic Farms shared some of his fine wines grown in Topanga using this esteemed agricultural tradition.  Steven Wynbrandt, a third biodynamic gardener known for his urban farm in LA attended the meeting as well.

After Susan's informative introduction, Jack showed us how to build a compost pile using a variety of different layers, each sprayed with just enough water to reach the consistency of a “wet sponge.”   Layers included most importantly cow manure, as well as hay, vegetable scraps, and a special mixture of herbs meant to provide the appropriate balance of minerals and other special properties.   This layering, ideally set in a shady spot, should reach the suggested critical mass of 15’ x 6’ x several feet high, and then be covered with mesh and left undisturbed for 6 months.  Once done brewing, the resulting compost is purported among agriculturalists to be the richest, most coveted growing material for plant cultivation.  For more information about his methods, see Jack's handouts where you will also find his contact information.

At the end of his talk, as a special treat, Jack shared about 10 specially mixed pots of lettuces and baby greens, all grown in his rich compost.  Finally, with a bunch of new fans on board, Jack announced that Skyline Organic Farms, the only Demeter Certified Biodyamic farm in Southern California, owned and operated by his protégé in attendance, Stefan Hagopian, is currently under orders by the California Coastal Commission to be destroyed due to a “disturbance of the natural ecosystem.”  This, in spite of the fact that the property is not only agriculturally zoned, but also consists of 75% wilderness, preserves and grows topsoil, stores rain water, has significantly increased earthworm and bee populations, and feeds its own animals and community.

I think most people at the meeting were both saddened and angered to come face to face with yet another small sustainable family farm's misfortune, due simply to some misconceptions created by a single hostile neighbor.  This sounds like another case for the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund.   True to form, hardly a meeting goes by without the mention of some sort of governmental resistance to the cultivation and distribution of naturally-grown and traditionally-prepared nutrient-dense foods.   That is why we continue to hold our meetings not only for cameraderie, but also as a way to educate the local population and create a greater demand for traditionally grown and prepared foods.

For further reading on the subject of Biodynamics, Susan Hardman recommends:

Agriculture by Rudolf Steiner

Agriculture Course:  The Birth of the Biodynamic Method by Rudolph Steiner

What is Biodynamics?  A Way to Heal and Revitalize the Earth by Rudolph Steiner

Culture and Horticulture: A Philosophy of Gardening by Wolf-Dieter Storl
A Biodynamic Farm for Growing Wholesome Food by Hugh Lovel

Thanks again to Jack, Susan, Stefan, and Steven for all they do to live the biodynamic lifestyle and share it with others!  


And don't forget to mark your calendar for our next two events coming up in April:  

1) On Sunday, April 28th, we'll be going on a field trip to Koreatown in LA for a traditional Korean dinner.  For more information or to register for the event, go to our Special Events page.

2) On Tuesday, April 30th, we'll have our next monthly potluck dinner meeting featuring a great film, American Meat, which will teach us all about the growing movement across the USA to rebuild a vast network of small, traditional, sustainable farms that provide the freshest and healthiest foods possible to our local populations.

See you in April!

Your Chapter Leader,

~ Karen

Recap of February 2013 Potluck Dinner Meeting - Eastern European Night!

Last night’s potluck dinner brought together some traditional Eastern European favorites, including 2 types of goulash with a variety of meats, veggies, herbs and spices, buckwheat kasha with butter, cool crispy sauerkraut, freshly-roasted and fermented red beet and sour cream salad, hardboiled eggs stuffed with dill-mayonnaise yolks topped with salmon roe, rice pudding of raw milk and cultured cream, chilled homemade rhubarb-and-raw-honey tea, and of course some vodka!    We all enjoyed dining in good company to the sounds of some playful retro Russian music.  Then everyone took turns sharing anecdotes about Eastern European culinary traditions.

We learned that the official composition of "Eastern Europe" depends on whose definition you use, the UN’s the CIA’s, or the countries’ themselves!  We learned that there are 3 major cultural influences in Eastern Europe:  Islamic, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic.  We learned that cabbage, whose wild ancestor is originally from the Mediterranean, is common to all Eastern European nations, due to its preference for growing in cooler climates, its high vitamin C content, and its versatility.  Several of us spoke about how buckwheat figures prominently in traditional Russian diets, and one Russian guest taught us all about kasha.   Aaron Zober contributed a recipe for buckwheat kasha, courtesy of Stanley Fishman, author of Tender Grassfed Meat.

We even had a thoughtful discussion comparing our modern American diet to the traditional Eastern European diet.  Our Russian guest explained that even though Russians ate plenty of meats, roots, buckwheat, dairy, and fermented foods and beverages, and even though the babushkas (grandmas) were known for making everyone “eat, eat, and eat some more,” no one ever got fat.  Typical urban families in Russia supported their diets with fresh homegrown produce from their own gardens cultivated at their family dachas or country cottages.  Mothers and babushkas always used fresh or fermented produce for preparing meals, whether from their own gardens or local farmers markets.  The food was always nutritious and homemade from scratch, and the people were healthy.  But now, over the years of continued urbanization, expansion of industrial agriculture, and the growth of the processed food industry, Eastern Europeans are slowly seeing a degradation of their traditional diets and increasing obesity and other related modern health problems. 

To sum it up, even though we did not have a scheduled speaker for the evening, our group was able to share information and learn from each other at yet another successful potluck dinner meeting.

Don’t forget to check our Meeting Schedule regularly for updates.  In March we'll enjoy another potluck dinner of traditional foods, and learn all about biodynamic composting with Jack MacAndrew.

Have a great month!

Your Chapter Leader,

~ Karen

Recap of January 2013 Potluck Dinner Meeting - The Wonders (and Politics!) of Palm Oil with Jolie Assina

Our January potluck dinner meeting featured Jolie Assina of Coconut Cow telling us all about Palm Oil.  We learned that palm oil comes from a type of palm that bears the palm fruit.  It is a tree that is indigenous to West Africa, whose products are primarily exported from Ghana.  Nutritionally speaking, in addition to having all the health benefits of coconut oil, it also contains lots of Vitamin E, and is even used to make Vitamin E supplements.  It has a very healthy fatty acid profile with plenty of heat-stable fats, making it a great and flavorful cooking oil.  Palm oil comes in a variety of different types, ranging in color from gold to dark orange.  

When selecting a palm oil, Jolie advised us to be aware of both where it comes from and the methods of processing.  Being from West Africa herself, Jolie prefers the palm oil from Ghana, and suggests that the palm oils from Mexico or Southeast Asia, where the plant is not native, tend to be less flavorful.  This may be an advantage for western palates if the native flavor is too strong, but if you want to taste the oil in its pure original form, try the one from Ghana. 

Another factor to consider when purchasing palm oil is the type and location of the plantation where it was grown.  Some plantations, especially the newer ones in tropical areas where the plant is not native, may be endangering the natural local environment when imposed as a cash crop.  If you choose to eat in harmony with nature, then it's always important to consider the environmental impact of the products you buy.  When selecting your palm oil, be sure to choose one from a sustainable grower.

As far as processing, the traditional cold and chemical-free methods of obtaining the oil yield the most healthy and nutrient-dense products.   You can generally find the processing information on the label, but you can also tell by appearance:  When minimally processed, the palm oil separates into distinct beads in its solid state.  Like coconut oil, palm oil alternately hardens and liquifies with changes in ambient temperature.  This is normal and natural and does not effect the quality or nutritional value of the oil.  

Palm oil, like coconut oil, comes from the fruit of the tree.  Before extracting the oil, the palm fruit is first made into a pulp, butter, or cream.  This lovely cream is also a wonderful culinary and health product by itself.  To give us an idea of the epicurean applications of palm cream, Jolie passed around a small sample of plain warm tomato sauce followed by another sample enhanced with the palm cream.  The difference was amazing and delectable!  The palm cream added a thickness, richness, and savory flavor to the sauce.  Tasting the sauce made me want to go stock up on palm cream right away!

Jolie also enlightened us about another product that comes from the same tree:  Palm sugar.  Like maple sugar, palm sugar is derived from the sap of the tree, after it has been tapped from the trunk.  When properly processed to maintain minerals and enzymes, palm sugar makes a great choice for a healthy sweetener.

About half way through her presentation, for all those who donated, Jolie offered a plate of traditional West African food, including soaked fava beans, chicken on the bone stewed in the tomato sauce with palm cream, and some freshly prepared African yam.  While the group was enjoying this traditional West African dinner, Jolie also took the opportunity to tell us about the African yam and discuss another important tuber, the cassava root.  Cassava is just another name for that popular Central American and Caribbean food, the yucca.   This famous tuber is in fact known by many different names, depending on the area where it's grown.  Most notably, cassava is used to make tapioca, a product that is rapidly gaining in popularity due to the rising demand for gluten-free products.  For comparison, Jolie held up cassava/yucca root next to the African yam, and you could see the similarities.  

By the end of her presentation, our group of full and happy diners enjoyed several interesting discussions including one on gluten-free products, another on eating locally, and another on eating in harmony with your ancestry.

Many thanks to Jolie for an inspiring and tasty presentation!  It's great to learn as much as we can about traditional foods and preparation methods from all over the world!  For more information on palm oil, see the links I've posted below, and be sure to check back in a few days for Jolie's tropical fruits & oils shopping list.

See you next month!  And until we meet again, try adding some palm oil or palm cream to your cooking! 

Your Chapter Leader,

~ Karen

Links:

http://www.coconutcow.net/index.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/028941_tocotrienols_palm_fruit_oil.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=111

http://piccadillybooks.com/palm-oil-miracle.htm

http://www.congocookbook.com/soup_and_stew_recipes/palm_butter_soup.html

http://www.drbronner.com/palm_oil_from_ghana.php