Sunday, November 23, 2008

Information wants to be free; Mission Thanksgiving

I'm visiting Atlanta and have made it to Woodfire, a farmers' market, a friend's restaurant by Oakland Cemetery and Northside. I totally failed at the Highlander, but am about to head to Little's. And maybe Whole Foods.

It's been four months since I possessed the knowledge necessary to eat really well. Having the meager money from my job has helped. But just being able to find good food honestly sold requires being networked through inefficient channels, and that takes time.

I'm reading a book on markets, and just finished a chapter that advocates information's uninterrupted (and thus free) flow in markets, and the existence of entities that facilitate that flow. And I thought about buying locally in Coventry. The terminology of farming and preparation are different. Chemical composition, not ingredient name, becomes the standard, and a constant source of doubt. Knowing as much about the foodways as I do here would certainly make life easier.

So to facilitate the flow of information to the Georgians who read this, here's a link to the Georgia Organics Directory. You can locate nearby markets, CSAs and restaurants, even a farmer if you need one. The printed version has the added bonus of being organized by location as well.

I get to shop because I've been asked to MacGyver a Thanksgiving dinner without a range or oven. My hardware consists of a grill, a smoker, a large outdoor burner, a small sauce burner, a slow cooker, a toaster oven, an electric skillet, a microwave, and possibly a torch. My software thus far is two turkeys of an as-yet-undetermined size, two paper grocery bags of various braising greens, and a few pounds of winter veg: turnips, radishes, parsnips and winter squash. I think I've got a line on some good stuffing. And I possibly have a satellite kitchen.

Now I just need to get a replacement notebook. I have lists to make.