“Eating is the most essential act of every living creature. And in virtually every human culture, growing, eating and sharing food has a spiritual dimension too. Today, eating is also unquestionably a political act. Our food choices, conscious or not , shape our world.”

This quote encapsulates exactly how I feel about the ‘Art of Dinner’. The above quote is from ‘Grub, Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen’ by Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry. (Anna Lappe is the daughter of Francis Moore Lappe who wrote ‘Diet for a Small Planet’.) It’s a nifty book with some terrific research about the politics of big agriculture and simple ways to introduce eating locally and healthfully to your dining room. I love the first part of the book. The resources section has great information in it as well. The second half of the book contains recipes and menus, which did not entice me as much as the rest of the book did. However this is definitely a book to read and put on your shelf for all of the valuable information it gives you in the first half. It explains clearly and concisely the reasons for buying locally and organically whenever possible.