On Meeting Alice Waters at Dosa Mercantile in LA

While I saw Alice Waters speak at an AFJ event in San Francisco several years ago, I never had the opportunity to meet her face to face.  I’ve been a huge fan of hers for years.  From her take on sustainable, wholesome plant foods to her Edible Schoolyard Project, she has done so much to shape the face of food and nutrition in this country.  So, when I was invited to attend a book signing in LA, I jumped on it.

Alice’s book signing was held in an ultra cool urban studio called Dosa, which is on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles.  Downtown Los Angeles is experiencing a really interesting gentrification process, in which all sorts of hip neighborhoods are cleaning up in an interesting way.  These little sections—which were once so dangerous nobody dared visit them after dark—have opened fabulous restaurants and great shops, yet the streets retain their original gritty, multicultural appeal.  I’m so happy to see that as the neighborhoods get cleaned up and become rediscovered, business owners are using existing architecture, and are careful not to clean it up too much.  You won’t find many chain restaurants around, and the dining is as eclectic as it comes, from BYOB Italian to Peruvian to Korean.  I find the culinary scene in downtown to be so intriguing that I take every opportunity to explore it.

Dosa Mercantile is a clothing, accessories and housewares company using natural, handmade and recycled materials.  Founded by Christina Kim, Dosa works with artisans who practice traditional handcrafts and techniques, and moved into this space on the 12th floor of a downtown high rise.  The studio is fabulous, all open, with artistic use of space, interesting furnishings, including low tables with benches and pillows, and a combination of vintage and international furnishings adorned with handmade textiles.  A number of tables displayed Dosa goods, which included lovely handmade kitchen towels, aprons, table linens, bags, jewelry and more.  I purchased some preserved fruits and California olive oil from one table.  The book signing also featured a delicious spread of foods and beverages served out of handmade baskets and glassware.

Since I arrived promptly, I was in a good position to meet Alice straight away—no long lines.  I introduced myself and she graciously shook my hand and engaged with me.  I told her that I was a dietitian and writer, and she looked me in the eye and said, quite seriously, “Remember, it starts with the soil.”  She emphatically pointed to the front inside jacket of her new book, The Art of Simple Food II, saying, “You see, it’s right here!”  Indeed, her book jacket says:

Treasure the farmer
Nurture the soil
Plant wherever you are
Learn from nature
Cultivate your palate
Make your own
Eat whole foods
Share the harvest
Teach children the art of simple food.

These are all concepts I live and breathe and share in my own books!  That’s why I’ve always been drawn to Alice.  I know that she meant to convey an important message, which I think hinted at the fact that perhaps dietitians talk about nutrients more than food, and maybe we don’t care about how food is grown.  I briefly tried to convey my own enthusiasm for the soil, and thanked her for everything she has done with her important work.  I really hope she got it!  Some dietitians really do care about the soil, including me!  In fact, you can read my article about soil here.

Still, she was wonderfully warm and down to earth, exuding that whole Berkeley vibe that I find so intoxicating—a kind of rustic, earthy, intellectual, elegant spirit.  Seriously, I need to schedule a trip to Berkeley!  And her book has an interesting collection of recipes and cooking techniques that really explain each plant food up close and personal.  It’s the perfect guide for understanding what to do when you get home from a farmers market with some mystery vegetable.

The Edible Schoolyard

In case you haven’t heard about Alice’s Chez Panisse Foundation and her wonderful Edible Schoolyard (ESP) project, please read about it now!  She founded ESP in 1996 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her incredible restaurant, Chez Panisse—most people credit her restaurant to kicking off the fresh, local, sustainable food movement in California, and now the whole US.  The mission of ESP is to build and share an edible curriculum from kindergarten to high school.  Alice’s vision is for gardens and kitchens to become part of interactive classrooms for academic subjects, and for all students to get a free, nutritious, organic lunch.  She kicked off ESP in Berkeley at Martin Luther King Junior Middle School with a one-acre organic garden and kitchen classroom, which has become a huge success.

Here’s a recipe for Alice Water’s Rosemary Potatoes, which was featured in Bon Appetit.

Featured Image: Alice Waters in Los Angeles