Remember 1929? No? Yea, neither do I. It can pretty much be assumed that if you remember the Great Depression (the biggest event of 1929) that you probably DON’T use the internet. However, we’ve been hearing about the G.D. a lot in recent months, due to our economic condition, which is reminding many of the economic crash of ’29.
While we don’t want 2009 to be like 1929 economically, we can study our predecessors and eat more thoughtfully and frugally. Listen to 91 year old, tech savvy Clara (okay, I dont think she’s really tech savvy, but her family is), who is the star of a cooking show called “Great Depression Cooking with Clara”. On her show, Clara makes Great Depression era recipes her family made in the ‘20s and ‘30s, using easily obtained (i.e. local!) ingredients that were simple but filling. Some of her creations are meals I make as a 20 something (i.e. broke) vegetarian regularly (check out her pasta with peas and egg drop soup). Most of Clara’s meals can be made for around 50 cents a day, and you can utilize ingredients that might otherwise go to waste - like stale bread.
Obtain those local foods at your local farmers market starting in the next two months (here in Charlottesville I have about a month until Farmers Market Season 2009!) Check out Locallectual’s Farmers Market directory, that’s growing daily to find a market near you.
Watch Clara on her youtube channel. Congrats Clara on being so with the times!

-Jess 

I lovel Charleston. It's one of my absolute favorite cities in the world and I've been lucky enough to live there. Unfortunately, I wasn't living there in early March for the Charleston Food and Wine Festival. The fest will feature some of the Lowcountry's best chefs, authors and wine professionals, as well as others from around the country to demonstrate and discuss the cuisine of the Lowcountry and the entire Southern region.

Learn how to best use the region's unique ingredients and meet some of the local purveyors. There will be classes (teaching you things like how to brew your own beer) and plenty of cooking competition, including the Certified SC Grown Cooking Competition tomorrow. PLUS, there will be guest chefs including Barbara Lynch of Boston's No. 9 Park and some guy named Bobby Flay.

I'm jealous of all the attendees learning about one of my favorite things (food!) in one of my all time favorite cities! If you go let me know how it is!

-Jess 

I don't know if anyone else has seen this site, but its amazing. Amazing in a car wreck you can't get look away from kind of way. The food on ThisIsWhyYou'reFat.com are neither local, organic nor healthy. It's just a reminder of if its not very colorful (naturally), fresh, or just all around looks not so great, then its probably not that good for you. If you want to live longer, then perhaps you should avoid foods like these!

Check out the 30,000 Calorie Burger: 

-Jess 

Pepsi and Coke are throwing down old school. The two soft drink kings are featuring a promotion for the next few months in which they will be making their drinks with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback will be at the same price as their HFCS counterparts from April 20th until June 13th.

About the same time, Coca-Cola will be promoting a limited-edition Kosher for Passover Coke, made with real sugar, since Jews cannot have corn (and high fructose corn syrup) during Passover. 

For more info on why HFCS is not the best for your health, check out Serena's blog on mercury in HFCS soda.

If you must drink soda, try a local brand, but if you must have Coke or Pepsi, support the types with real sugar! 

-Jess