Drive 30 miles on any interstate in America, and chances are you will encounter half a dozen fast food establishments. The proliferation of fast food in the U.S. has upstaged Americans' concerns about how food is produced and distributed. But there are Americans, the numbers of which are growing each day, that care less about convenient meals "on the run" and more about local ingredients, sustainable farming, and better flavor. This is what the worldwide Slow Food Movement is about. 

The movement began in Italy in the '80s by Carlo Petrini and has gradually spread across the globe. The mission of the movement is to maintain and promote heirloom food varieties, encourage ethics in the food marketplace, and promote organic foods. The term "slow" is not so much a reference to the amount of time invested in cooking the foods, as it is a counterpoint to "fast" food. The Slow Food organization oversees the movement and certifies farmers, food purveyors, and dining establishments.

So what kind of foods can you expect to get from Slow Food purveyors? It depends on the local food culture of the purveyor. Examples in my part of the country include DiPalo's in Manhattan, which offers some of the most authentic Italian cheeses in New York City. Their homemade mozzarella and ricotta cheeses are second to none, and I have enjoyed their variety of house-made sausages since I was a kid. Ronnybrook Farm Dairy in upstate New York features delicious milks and yogurts that are made from the farm's own herd, without antibiotics and without mass-production techniques like homogenization. In California, restaurateur Alice Waters, a Slow Food pioneer, always features regional, in-season vegetables, as well as meat from local livestock, in straightforward French-American preparations. 

How do I seek to be a part of the Slow Food movement? I purchase virtually all produce for my restaurant from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania farmers at the Union Square Greenmarket. I buy meats and fish from American purveyors on the East Coast. On a large scale, I love the environmental benefits of using ingredients from local purveyors. On my table, the Slow Food lifestyle yields better tasting, fresher, and healthier foods than factory-produced grains, feedlot livestock, and imported crops.

Check out their website and see if there are any events of interest near you.