Alice Waters continues her tireless crusade for local foods with $500 private dinners
January 19, 2009 at 2:22 pm by Brian Ries
I love Alice Waters as much as the next worshipper of good food and local ingredients, but she’s best as an inspiration. An icon of a movement. Whenever she gets her hands dirty trying to foment grassroots change in the way America eats, Waters comes off a bit lofty.
She’s in DC this week with a cornucopia of big name chefs to try to get the word out about keeping it local. How? $500 dinners cooked by the chefs in the homes of Washington’s power elite:
“It was a party, complete with a spit-roasted lamb, to honor 10 of the country’s most famous chefs who had come to town to cook at dinners Monday night in private home for guests who are paying $500 for the privilege. It is all part of Ms. Waters’s crusade to put the need for local, organic and sustainable food on the political agenda. She hopes her dinners will get Washington’s politicians to pay attention and, perhaps, convince the Obamas to plant a vegetable garden on the White House lawn.” (NY Times The Caucus blog)
Water’s went on to declare that her next step is to figure out a way to get sustainable foods in schools. Big disconnect there, Alice.
Admittedly, the proceeds from these dinners will go to help local food charities, but it does seem a tad precious to cater (literally) to the elite, hoping the experience will change their minds about food policy. Or am I just cynical?
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