Courtesy of Gregory Schaefer /Blake Gardener
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Hey there! Gregory from "The Ultimate Eco Cook Off" on The G-Word here. I'm very excited to be blogging so that I can share more from our shoots and more of my enthusiasm for food and cooking!
I am a hardcore foodie with loads of experience in the kitchen and I've been going green for over ten years. I've held nearly every job in the restaurant world, from the front of the house to the back, and now I'm thrilled to bring my varied experience to The G Word! Cooking on TV is way easier than in a restaurant, though it has its own funky challenges.
Your kitchen is a battlefield, yo! It's an incredible place where you have the ability to make all sorts of radical decisions: political, social, economic, ecological and gastronomical. I don't want to get too serious here (just yet, at least) but think about how the choice of what to put in your mouth—what you use for fuel—has serious and far-reaching consequences on the world stage beyond your own personal health and pleasure.
As you'll see on The G Word, it is pleasure that I'm focused on first and foremost. Don't get me wrong, I love sustainability through and through, but it was gluttony that got me into green foods originally. I quickly noticed the flavor differences between conventionally farmed produce and seasonal organics. I can still taste the first REAL tomato I'd ever eaten - funny shape with a worm hole, a skin ready to bust open, hot from the sunshine of the farmer's market in Gainesville, Florida. That ultra fresh beast had an unreal flavor... so vibrant, juicy and alive. The refrigerated section of my local supermarket suddenly resembled a morgue!
I started seeking out more and more organic, seasonal and local foods. Farmer's markets are definitely the easiest way to figure out what you should be eating... if it's at the market, it's likely to be local, fresh, in season and damn delicious!
I realize not everyone hits their farmer's markets and not everyone is grabbing the local, sustainable, seasonal foods increasingly available at the grocers. And that's OK. I want to motivate people to get their butts in the kitchen, have some fun and explore the world of food!
The G Word is an incredible experience! Exploring for wild ingredients is something I've always wanted to do. My eyes have been opened to the diversity of foods that foraging provides: from the desert to the ocean floor, there's a 24-hour buffet of tasty treats out there! The eccentric food experts we've encountered in the field are awesome, their passion really inspires!
Meeting new chefs and battling in the kitchen is blast too! My nerves kick in hardcore every time we hit the cutting boards, but I manage to hold my own against the white coat crowd!
Can you tell that I'm excited? Yeah! So check back soon. I'll be giving you extra tips on that tasty green world out there and behind-the-scene madness from my adventures in the field and in the kitchen.VIVA!
Gregory
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