delicious thick curries with yogurt and golden raisins that were so sweet. You are expecting your first child later this year, congratulations! What are some of the things that you’d like to teach him or her about food and where it comes from? I think so much around food is becoming automated, so I’d like to teach my child to be as independent as possible in every sense of the word. It is important to be able to cook and take care of oneself; it is a very overlooked form of independence. Food touches so many things: economics, politics, culture. It’s also a way to get them involved, which is important to me. You are incredibly passionate about good food, not only for yourself but for the world, so much so that you enrolled in the London School of Economics, which led you to take classes in environmental politics and write your dissertation on vertical farming. Tell us more! When I was writing my dissertation, vertical farms didn’t exist yet. They were just a biotech proposal for a climate change adaptation strategy. Basically, the biotechnology creates huge skyscraper farms in cities. Imagine being at the Empire State Building, and on one floor there is an avocado grove and on another there is a peach grove. It is all grown hydroponically, so it uses 95% less water; you don’t need to use pesticides or GMOs and it’s completely human-controlled. A lot of our carbon footprint is shipping food into cities, so if you can bring food production and distribution back into cities, it will reduce the carbon footprint. The farmers who are producing food now would be paid to plant forests, and those forests would reduce carbon. As I mentioned, it’s also a climate change adaptation strategy, because as the climate changes and patterns grow more and more unpredictable, it will be more important to have human-controlled food options. Today, there are eight vertical farms in Newark, New Jersey, like Dream Greens and Aerofarms. They are growing things like arugula, microgreens and kale under artificial light. They are selling their greens to grocery stores, and not only do they taste great, the growers have also learned how to “speak plant.” They interact with their crops using their phones, so
if a plant is stressed it will ping their phone and they will be alerted if it needs more light or water. It is amazing because the plant goes from seed to store in 16 days, so they are pumping out food a lot faster. Of course, there are certain things that will always have to be grown in fields, like rice and wheat, but there are a lot of things that can be transferred to vertical farms. We can then use that land to start replanting forests. What’s your advice to people who want to get involved in the food movement? A lot of the food movement comes down to personal values. For me, I’ve always been passionate about environmental issues, so my food philosophy is shaped around that. I would say that when it comes to food, do some soul-searching and think about why you’re making certain decisions — is it because you’re concerned about the environment, animal rights, the rights of farmers — and then shape your choices around that. Personally, I think, if an avocado is grown conventionally in upstate New York, is it better for me to buy it than an organically grown version from Mexico? For me, the answer is yes, because that avocado’s carbon footprint is less. You live in Brooklyn where the food scene is on fire. What are some of your favorite spots? My neighborhood, Fort Greene, is wonderful, with many food options. Dino’s is a cute brunch place and they serve good pasta. Roman’s is another favorite for Italian and Olea for Mediterranean-inspired fare. What’s next for you and The Impatient Foodie? I’m sure that having a baby will turn The Impatient Foodie into something different, but I have to see what that is when it gets here. I love my site and I am so excited for everything that’s happening. ELE T TR A'S NYC FOOD PICKS
meal at… Hao Noodle and Tea by Madam Zhu's Kitchen. Recently, I have been craving a lot of Chinese food. I’ve been thinking of signing up for an 8 -week cooking program where you learn how to cook Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese in two week intervals. My favorite New York restaurant of all time is… Shopsin's. It has a 50-page menu. You could order pancakes with chocolate chips and blueberries and they’d do it. I used to drink milkshakes there with my dad with crazy straws. ELE T TR A'S LEEK TARTLE TS
1 (14-ounce) box puff pastry (we like Dufour’s Classic), thawed 12 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned, halved lengthwise, and sliced into half-moons 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 15x10inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pastry dough into 6 rectangles and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the goat cheese onto each piece, leaving a ½-inch border all around. In a bowl, combine the leeks, olive oil, thyme, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Top each rectangle with a small handful (about¼cup) of the leek mixture. Bake until the dough is golden brown and puffed up, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Add some more pepper, if desired, and enjoy! For more recipes from Elettra Wiedemann, purchase your copy of her new book, Impatient Foodie: 100 Delicious Recipes for a Hectic, Time-Starved World, available at amazon.com
For the ultimate brunch, I head to… Dino’s in Brooklyn and Balthazar in Manhattan. When I am craving comfort food… I cook for myself and it’s usually pasta. For a caffeine fix, my favorite coffee shop is… Café Baba Cool. One underrated restaurant that you should visit is…Mamoun’s Falafel (mamouns.com), which is a food stand with a few locations. You can get a $6 falafel sandwich that is not only cheap, it’s healthy. When I am looking for inspiration for my own cooking, I enjoy a
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