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Only Organic
I want to preface this by saying that I’m *not* a big organic food snob. In fact, I’ve always been sort of snobby towards people who are snobby about eating only organic food. But now that I’m living in a new city and having to establish new eating patterns based on grocery stores and restaurants that are close by, I have to say that there are a couple of simple organic items I used to eat where I used to live, that I haven’t yet located a close and easy source for.
These two items are so simple that they’re stupid. Peanut butter and canned tuna. See? Stupid. Nothing exotic at all. Totally run-of-the-mill poor man’s food. Only problem is, I used to live by a big chain natural food store, which got me hooked on that stuff. And now I don’t.
And it’s driving me “nuts.”
Ha, sorry. Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is that I’m becoming more able to see why people become organic food snobs. Or at least some people. Once you have organic versions of certain things, you just can’t ever go back. Believe me, I tried. I tried buying some name brand regular tuna and that stuff just seems like its been sitting in a can for years. It’s all white and slimy - even the chunk white stuff. Disgusting! Similar problem with the name brand peanut butter - even their “natural” variant. It doesn’t taste like peanuts AT ALL. It just tastes like poisonous chemicals that are going to rot in my intestines.
I don’t like to admit it, and maybe it’s just that I’m getting on in years, but I guess I’m becoming a food snob little by little. I held out as long as I could. I swear.
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March 7th, 2006 at 11:57 pm
I could never go back to regular toothpaste after switching to a natural. Tom’s of Main Natural with propolis & Myrrh, it’s like heaven on your toothbrush. Trying to brush with regular paste now is simply revolting. Also, Queen Helene’s vitamin E deodorant stick, ooh, it’s so smooth. You’re so right about natural peanut butter vs. big name brand. There is such a big difference between the two it’s crazy. I thought Seattle was super hip on healthy. Are you saying there isn’t an organic market on every corner?
March 8th, 2006 at 12:04 am
There is one and it’s not SUPER far away, but it’s not directly in line with my daily activities of going from work to the bar and home again.
PS. Great point about deodorant. I can’t use any deodorant that’s not natural anymore, because I get awful irritation and deep painful zits within a few hours if I use any of that chemical crap.
March 8th, 2006 at 12:24 am
Why do you consider peanut butter and tuna fish poor mans food? They taste good and are good for you (more or less). Just curious and not trying to give you a hard time.
I’ve eaten rich man’s food. It’s about the same ‘cept for the prep. Heck, tonight I made a pasta and organic cream sauce with some moderately expenisve french wine. It was at least decent restaraunt quality…
Good Luck finding a worthy food store maybe try and look for a natural foods co-op? Or perhaps some west coast contacts have an idea for you?
March 8th, 2006 at 9:47 am
may the peanut butter gods smile upon you. pb&j was my daily substinance for many years, and by principle i have to keep a bottle of peanut butter always on reserve. going from grinded peanuts-only back to hyrodginated oil crap is un-doable. i feel your pain and wish you luck. you will find what you seek!
March 8th, 2006 at 9:57 am
Oh how Bablyon has trapped you with it’s many material pleasures.
What dem gonna do after the Armageddon?
You might not have a toothbrush and you will probably be pretty stinky.
Peanut butter? Ha.
Seriously - I lived in another country for a couple years where no PB (regular old Kraft Smoothy) nor Mayo was available - it was pretty hard on my sorry fat ass. But it’s amazing how cutting those 2 things out of your diet can shed a few pounds…
Anyhow good luck in the search, yer food makes yer day.
March 8th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
hmm, they don’t have organic pb at the ballard safeway? weird. next time we make a grocery run to any of our faves, you should come along. i know a dozen places that sell the stuff. or, we could order some for you from pioneer organics.
i knew living in seattle would start you on the path to food-snobdom. we’re all food snobs here. next thing you know we’ll have you eating sushi.
as for organic things that taste better than non-organic things, i can think of two in particular that really struck me. the main one is eggs. after having “organic,” cage-free, grain-fed eggs, i will never, ever go back to non-organic again if i can help it. i had chickens as a kid & remember the difference between the fresh eggs we’d get from the henhouse and the plasticy crap found in cages. seriously, if you’re still buying regular old eggs, do yourself a favor and switch. you will be WAY glad you did.
the other things that taste better organic, are veggies with skins, like tomatoes, green peppers, eggplants, etc. don’t exactly know why– i’m sure there’s a scientific reason they taste better but i don’t know what it is. it’s just noticable to me– biting into a non-organic tomato generally leaves one with a mouthful of weird grainy mush, but a good organic tomato is soooo delicious.
March 8th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Havent actually thought to go there…
March 8th, 2006 at 2:40 pm
It’s funny how people were eating fake-ass food all the way from the early 60s to the early 90s, and they didn’t even realize. Ever eat wal-mart cheddar? Like wax. No wonder average merkins are so corpulent.
Re: deodorant. Oft times it’s not even necessary.
March 8th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Tim,
I live a few blocks from a PCC Natural Market. I’m going to be at Garrett’s house on Thursday for the show. I will go by PCC and see if they have your peanut butter and tuna. If they do, I’ll pick some up for you, and you can pay me back later.
Anna
March 8th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Anna, don’t sweat it about the tuna and peanut butter. I’m going to make a trip myself this weekend. Thanks for the offer though.
March 8th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
Hell, peanut butter costs more than filet mignon most places…
March 8th, 2006 at 9:13 pm
yah I have the same problem with almost everything ive had organic. I cant eat roasted nuts now either. I totally understand the thing about peanut butter. Even the all natural brands have NO FLAVOR! What Ive discovered about peanut butter though is that lots of organic brands will use valencia peanuts. Im not positive but I think that effects it alot. The absolute best peanut butter Ive ever had comes from a very small natural foods store where the owner grinds his own brand that comes in a non sealed plastic tube. Its absolutely wonderful. Its the perfect texture and flavor and he adds no oil or sugars or anything. Most brands labels smooth are like tooth paste. Anyway I asked him what kinds of peanuts he uses and he says he uses a “peanut butter blend” which includes valencia peanuts. You know I dont think its snobby to prefer organic food, because really your tastes are finally experiencing what REAL food is like. Its like youve been eating garbage your whole life and you get a taste of actual food and it shouldnt be a surprise you dont want to keep eating garbage. When i say garbage I mean that the highly processed, irradiated, petroleum fertilizer and pesticide grown food we say as conventional is unexceptable. Its a typical captilistic trend, sell more use less, while sacrificing nutrition and taste. Fuck that shit Im no fucking snob.
March 8th, 2006 at 9:27 pm
http://www.organicconnection.net/nutritional.html
I guess theres still some debate about org vs non-org as far as nutrition, but as you guys seemed to already have noticed there is certaintly more taste. I wonder why that is…. ps dont take my above comment the wrong way Im dont mean to be hostile towards this discussion
March 9th, 2006 at 11:22 am
Welcome to this side of the fence.
Why have you been resisting it is what I don’t get. Everybody is snob about something. It’s a natural and human tendency: of course you think the choices you make are better *somehow* otherwise you would not make them, wouldn’t make sense. Those criticising your snobiness are also being snob to you because they are regarding their own choices as better, and *somehow* looking down on yours. Human nature.
It should always boil down to what is better for you and screw the rest!
March 10th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
As a matter of clarity, you might want to refer to the tuna as “healthily processed tuna.”
Until the day they battery farm tuna and feed them tuna chow, all tuna is equally organic (and equally on top of the food chain and thus loaded with mercury and whatever other nasties accumulate).
I prefer it fresh or flash-frozen from a good fishmonger.