Now I know this is a wicked blasphemy in this topic

[OrmIrian]

but it is even remotely possible, that sometimes, very rarely, the obession with artisan foods might just possibly, maybe, put the teeniest bit of the smallest portion of it's toe over the line into the world of pretentious wank?

Sorry. Listening to the Food Programme on R4. It does sometimes annoy me a tad.

Agree

! of course lots of it is pretentious wank ! nice wank though generally

oh, don't beat around the bush, OrmIrian! It is a total load of pretentious wank, I hate all that poncey preciousness about food. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking and eating and have grown up in a food-loving home. We even used to have a deli. But all the "sourcing" and reverence has just taken all the fun out of food!

Well I'm sure a lot of it does BUT it is an incredibly important subject.
You see the thing is that a lot of artisan food production really did nearly disappear forever. we have to champion it or else there will be NO alternative to the massed produced crap. The only food available will be the stuff that is cheapest to produce so that the supermarkets shareholders get their dividends.

Letting a handful of people who do not care about the health and livelyhood of the public or food manufacuters have a monopoly on providing food is a very dangerous state of affairs.

Agree, it's just another bloody status symbol for people with nothing better to worry about

This is one of the easiest ways that you, as parents, can have a political voice btw.

What the frig is artisan food? You know what bugs me, people using the french nams for food to make it sounds all posh. 'Tart au citreon' or whatever... lemon pie then?

Do you all realise that the price of producing a pint of milk went up by 3p per litre last month. The supermarkets will only increase the price they pay for it by 1p. the farmer has to swallow the excess or lose the contract

I quite agree carmenere. But this week's food programme was a case in point. Excellent program for introducing dairy skills to farmers unskilled by the milk marketing board. No issue with that. But the next report about the cheese in Switzerland was it? It just seemed too much - a kind of glorified tourist attraction. And a farmer being chucked off the co-op because he milk was't up to scratch just once.

I agree that food provenence matters, and farming matters, but sometimes it seems just another kind of silly snobbery.

But that programme was really interesting the whole point was that the farmers in Austria I think it was, were trying to take control of the situation and not be at the beck and call of the big supermarkets by developing a mini touristic industry where there hadn't been one before. I thought it was an intelligent alternative to being fucked by Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda tbh.

Yes they were. But that can be done without making cheese-making some kind of religious rite.

I thought the reintroduction of cheese-making and ice-cream making skills at the level of the farm was good though. Another way of cutting out the big supermarkets.

Oh yes I agree. Remember that series with Heston Blumenthal? I couldn't enough.

'Culinary alchemist' indeed!

didn't hear the prog but wankiest wank i have ever heard when 'someone' was cooking something at my house[long story] and phoned up before to ask if i had any 'maldon sea salt'

i replied that i had sea salt but not maldon. he replied 'ok i'll bring my own'

IT'S SALT FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well firstly Maldon is exceptionally fantastic salt but admitttedly I can cook with ordinary salt.
Secondly there is a place for culinary alchemy, I don't care too much for it but I am glad it exists as I love the fact that the human spirit is so inquisitive. They are not asking you to pay the prices for the restaurant, they just made a tv programme about it because it is an interesting aspect of culinaria.
Thirdly the world of cheese making is strangely addictive, it is a complete passion for me and is complex and individual as wine production. But I agree, most people don't get that.

So whilst there is nothing wrong with value beans on value bread do you all really want all food to taste the same? Because that is what is gong to happen. How does that compare to a slice of freshly sliced home made bread served with some beans that have been baked in the oven with tomatoes and herbs and spices?

If allowed supermarkets would only stock 6 different types of cheese because they would be cheap to produce and they would own the dairies that produce them.

Be warned all you scoffers out there, scorn at your peril, intensive food producers/major supermarkets are the most corrupt forces on this planet and they want us all to think like you.

But I can cook up a huge vareity of interesting and tasty meals - using bog standard value produce and food.......why do I need to pay more for a "fancy" version of something when there's a massive range of different tasting foods that can be produced using just a few standard recipes??

You don't need to. You can run your life and your kitchen as you like and indeed you should demand a wide variety of produce. But don't just assume that all interest in artisan food is about poncy culinary one-upmanship. Food is a very political issue. the major food producers want to be the only ones in the market place. they don't want there to be any independent producers. They don't want the competition because they want to fix prices and make as much profit as possible, they don't care if your children don't get the optimum amount of nutrition. Or about anything else other than profit.

Anyway FAQ I know you are well able to cook. The problem lies with people who aren't able to cook, and don't pay much attention to their food and where it comes from.

Didn't hear the Radio 4 programme.

But realised I had crossed the line into food pretentiousness today when I bought 18 mini kitkats for £2 for the dc, and then spent 75p on a minute bar of Green & Black's for me.

I would have enjoyed a kitkat just as much.

Been reading this thread with interest, never really thought too much about food tbh & I wondered if one of you could tell me what on earth 'artisan food' is?

Carmenere, I didn't know that about milk prices either and was quite by what you said

I agree with carm that food is a political issue. However, some people do over-poncify it and it's a shame if that gets in the way of understanding a valid argument for better food production.

(Also, like lmam, I am not sure what 'artisan' food is)

Basically an artisan is a skilled craftsman/woman who generally has a small business producing hand made products ie; cheesemakers, jam makers, small butchers who make their own sausages, small bakers ect.

oh, so people who actually do the job rather than mas produced in a factory?

okeh. Thanks

I agree.
I hate the way that food and drink is turned into a fetish. It's self indulgent and quite obscene.

Mind you, I veer over the line sometimes meself. Turned up at Sunday school last week (we do it in turns) and trilled to another mother' If you haven't anything planned, I will make bread with them. I have olive oil form Palestine!'

I am cringeing at memory.
Am already branded a weirdo for bringing smoked salmon s'wiches to Christma party and donating tin of caviar (dh works a lot in former USSR) to school raffle.