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Eric Hultgren 2/27/16 Eric Hultgren 2/27/16

Where it comes from

Five or six years ago my wife decided to do our best to know what we were putting in our bodies. While we don't always hit a homerun with this, it was important that we not only cooked at home more, but that we understood where it came from. This meant sourcing from farms and butcher shops so that we bought as little (or no) meat from a chain grocery store and instead purchased from local sources that we could look at and see how the animals are handled.

It was amazing how quickly you could tell the difference between the meat that came from a farm or a local butcher or the easier option of a chain store. We have even started to do that with vegetables as much as we can. This gets much tougher as it is still vital to get fruits and veggies into the diet of little ones so that we turn a blind eye to the fact that avocado is not a winter vegetable and instead opt for our kids to eat seemingly healthy food they dig.

This morning I am going to take it a step further, I am going on my first hunt. I had a friend turn 40 this week and he has always wanted to do a bird hunt, so we are hunting pheasant this morning, which is something I have never done but am excited to do. It might not be your thing but I want to understand how food ends up on a plate and to go through the process of hunting to cooking from start to finish. It is an important moment in my love and respect for food.

I have always loved the idea of nose to tail eating, meaning you eat the entire animal so that the life you take is used to the fullest potential. Need an example? My favorite tacos in town are of the "lengua" variety and if your Spanish is rusty that is beef tongue. Maybe that isn't for you, I get it but the process of food getting to your plate needs a bit of context. Or maybe just I do.

I have talked about going hunting for a number of years but it just hasn't worked out, today as become the day. What will happen? I have no idea but by the end of it I will understand where that bird came from before it ends up on a plate somewhere.

Eric Hultgren 2/26/16 Eric Hultgren 2/26/16

Around the table

I came home this evening after 6 hours in a car to find that a neighbor had brought dinner over as a surprise. In 2016, there are fewer sublime joys than a home cooked meal that someone was thoughtful enough to share with you. The power and connection that can be created by sharing a meal is being lost at the speed of life. The average American eats one in five meals in their car and one in four eats a fast food meal every day.

Study after study shows that student who don't eat with their family have more instances of truancy and are 40% more likely to be overweight versus those who don't. So when a neighbor brings a meal over to share with you, something amazing happens to you. You enjoy that meal more and pine to spend more time eating with friends and family.

My wife and I a few years back started "neighbor dinner" where each week we go to someone's house and share a family style meal. This tiny idea has made some profound connections amongst the people who are a part of this social experiment and in a country where one-third of the people in it don't know their neighbors this discipleship of community can make a lasting impact.

I have been making my way through Cooked on Netflix and in the water episode they spend a lot of time explaining how there is a direct correlation between the time you spend cooking in your own home and obesity. So what would it take for you to cook a meal with your friends or family once a week? What about your kids? Your neighbors?

We bond over food in a way that we don't in any other social setting. So as you deal with the onslaught of the social media vitriol every day, maybe food is the answer. If you have listened to one of my podcasts you know that "surprise and delight" are my favorite things. The ability to surprise and delight with food could be the secret to a longer, healthier life.

Eric Hultgren 2/23/16 Eric Hultgren 2/23/16