Food that Scares Me

Well, I thought this would be as good as place as any to fill you all in on the foods that I'm really afraid to cook with. This fear is pretty much unfounded, and basically is just the result of growing up in a house where we never cooked these things. But, as I get older and more adventurous in the kitchen, I'm trying to leave my fears behind and embrace recipes without any trepidation. So, here's the list of the foods that scare me, or in other words, if I see these on an ingredient list, I'm moving on to something else:

• Whipping Cream - I don't understand how this works or what I'm supposed to do with it.
• Avocados - I know I like these, but I've never bought one.
• Leeks - I just tried my first recipe with these this week and they were less scary in person.
• Soy Milk - Milk from a bean? I'm already confused.
• Chick Peas - I think I've been scarred by bad salad bar experiences.
• Orange or Lemon Zest - Doesn't this require a special tool? If so, enough said.

So fellow bloggers, are there any foods that scare you in the kitchen, and have you been able to overcome your fears? I would love to hear your strategies!

Where's my breakfast from?

Last night, Joe and I watched Food, Inc., a documentary film about the food industry in the United States. I was already aware of a lot of the issues they raised regarding treatment of animals, lobbying groups for specific industries, and the benefits of eating organic; however, I had not ever really considered the idea of where all of my produce comes from. In the film, they state that the average meal travels over 1500 miles to get to your table. That's a long way! (Think from Athens to about Salt Lake City for an idea of how far this is.)

So, I decided to take inventory of the produce in our house to see how far my fruits and veggies have traveled to make it to Athens. Here's what I found:

• Blueberries - Chile
• Peaches - Chile
• Apples - USA (Washington)
• White Potatoes - USA (unknown)
• Sweet Potatoes - USA (unknown)
• Bananas - Guatemala
• Pomegranates - USA (California)
• Butternut Squash - Mexico
• Strawberries - USA (Florida)
• Carrots - USA (unknown)
• Spinach - unknown
• Grapes - Chile
• Parsnips - USA (unknown)
• Celery - USA (unknown)
• Brussel Sprouts - unknown
• Peppers - unknown
• Leeks - Mexico
• Onions - USA (unknown)

First thought, "Wow - I have lots of produce!". Second thought, "My produce is more well traveled than I am!". This means my banana, peach, blueberry smoothie for breakfast this morning comes from Chile and Guatemala. I think the only thing from the US in it is the ice I added. Shocking!

So, I'm aiming to be more proactive in looking for food that is grown closer to home, since the only thing in my kitchen that appears to even relatively fit that bill are the Floridian strawberries. I signed up for our locally grown farming co-op in the Athens area, which if you are interested, you can check out here: http://athens.locallygrown.net/

I normally frequent our farmer's market when it's open, but it's closed from November until May. In the meantime, I'll keep hunting for some closer food and let you know if I find anything good. Do you guys have any suggestions on other ways to find less international produce?