Oxford Food Symposium | Community Workshop | Activity

Ken Albala posted an update in the group Community Workshop: Question: Origin of the Balanced Meal. I was looking down at […]

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 18:56:58 +0100

Question: Origin of the Balanced Meal. I was looking down at my plate the past few dinners and noticed that I instinctively place carbs, vegs and protein in fairly equal measure on a plate and it feels right to me. Even when dishes are jumbled up as in a casserole, I feel they are a complete meal when all three components are balanced. I think…

Ken Albala posted an update in the group Community Workshop: Imagine the Ideal Food System, the ideal agriculture, […]

Fri, 21 May 2021 15:45:20 +0100

Imagine the Ideal Food System, the ideal agriculture, manufacutre, distribution, preparation, consumption. Does your mind tend to look forward or backward for inspiration? Or are there elements of both? I think few people are purely romantic/nostalgic and few who are obstinately positivist and confident that science will solve all problems. This…

Ken Albala posted an update in the group Community Workshop: A Question of Smoke: We normally recognize smoke as an […]

Thu, 13 May 2021 16:43:14 +0100

A Question of Smoke: We normally recognize smoke as an aroma, but rarely a primary flavor in food. It would stand to reason that if cooking food provided nutritional benefits, and perhaps killing pathogens, giving our prehistoric ancestors advantages over those that didn’t cook, then smoke might be hard-wired into our taste preferences…

Ken Albala posted an update in the group Community Workshop: Question on Eating Utensils: It is said that one third of […]

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 11:33:34 +0100

Question on Eating Utensils: It is said that one third of the world eats with fork and knife, one third with chopsticks and one third with hands. Do you think the way people eat ultimately influences, maybe even determines not just the way food is served, but ultimately how it is prepared and cooked? It seems obvious that in Chinese cuisine food…

Ken Albala posted an update in the group Community Workshop: An Equipment Question. As we all know, different cooking […]

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 20:55:11 +0100

An Equipment Question. As we all know, different cooking implements can yield very varied results. It is difficult to flip food in cast iron, a teflon-coated pan requires less fat to avoid sticking, your instant pot will not brown food. This past week I’ve been playing with some old pots buried at the back of my cabinet, including iron, carbon…