Nothing like a tamale or corn on the cob, or is this no longer an option? Seems this tasty crop has fueled some consternation for some people and monetary wealth for conglomerates.

Yesterday I was surfing the web when I noticed an article about overfishing! What’s new? It isn’t like I haven’t been aware; the nightly news cast pumps out information on the environment,with talking heads asking scientists and evangelicals opinions on the armaggedon scenarios.When ordering provisions for my job I have a list on my wall of what are seasonal fish  I can get for my menu or specials. Scary to think how few varieties there are left, especially when at some points some fish species have moratoriums placed on them.No doubt it has something to do with run off from farms,mercury,and deep net fishing? Still we, humans are starting to realize the dangers of global warming,aren’t we? Could this all be just a knee jerk reaction,like a new fad, a little too late!

In the congo, guerillas  are hunting mountain gorillas for food.Bears and tigers killed to sell to traditional chinese medicine merchants? On the cooking side there is a trend to cook species of grouper or reef fish to high paying gourmands in Hong Kong restaurants! Seems like if it isn’t thermo-nuclear war,insurgencies,or genocide that endanger us everyday, we are confronted Instead by natures force in tidal waves, glacier’s melting, hurricanes. All of which one would think is a natural occurence,but more likely caused by humans. A cycle that is ensnaring the food chain in a downward spiral of disease,destruction as in the case of bird flu or mad cow diseases.

Wouldn’t it make sense to make agendas, pass law’s and take action? What will it take to change the way we treat mother earth Even corn,the crop of the meso-americans is also a victim of protest. Used as sugar in soda’s and other processed foods which cause obesity. Multinational food companies are now using it as a substitute for fossil fuels. ,This holy grain that sustained the starving pilgrims at thanksgiving feasts, is now the fuel for our cars! As most americans drive themselves selfishly to supermarket chains in large automobiles.Maybe it makes sense,a perverse justice?  This food  provides the same end product in our human engines as in our combustilble engines that pollute the air.

Former Vice President (hopefully candidate)Al Gore was nominated for a Nobel Peace prize for enviornment, it was not long ago he was ridiculed for talking about these signs of danger. If we have leaders like our own W, or even someone as rockheaded as Senator Inhofe.How can we fall into the trap of beliving someone who denies the fact of humans being the biggest culprit in the equation, well were in trouble!(well we all ready have into successive presidential election cycles,look where we are now!!)

Perhaps one good thing from this mess is that perhaps beef will be grass fed? If there is any more space,or we haven’t fouled all the oceans with runoff from the corn fields? It reminds me of Stephen Kings "children of the corn!"

As a chef it’s already a challenge find a decent product,weather has factored recently with a chill in California that damaged 75% percent of crops.Now the wine industry is in trouble as well! From the control of trans fats,foie gras and the industrialization of the food industry,the chefs choices and pantry are changing. With changing weather patterns it will be harder to determine what to cook when in New York city we will be having tropical weather rather than the four season of my childhood? If we aren’t able to eat corn will just burn it? Put mine on the muffler I like it toasted!