"Eat Real" Recipes Available for Food Day Events

Food Day, taking place on October 24, is a grassroots mobilization for improved food policy—perhaps the largest ever. Although Food Day is an occasion to raise consciousness about health, sustainability, and farm worker justice, its also a day to enjoy delicious, healthy meals with family and friends. To that end, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest is offering a free Food Day recipe booklet featuring recipes from Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Ellie Krieger, Nina Simonds, and other top chefs and cooking authorities.

A Food Day dinner might start with a Fennel and Apple Soup from Blue Hill chef Dan Barber, or the Squash and Mushroom Salad offered by Mario Batali. The James Beard Award-winning chef Emeril Lagasse offers up a Gumbo with Smoked Turkey and Wild Rice—a hearty but healthy main dish. Asian-cooking authority Nina Simonds suggests a gingery Hot and Sour Salmon with Greens.

Some of the sustainable yet savory side dishes in the booklet are Chicago-based chef Rick Bayless’ Sweet Potato with Caramelized Onions & Guajillo Chili Dressing, and a Rosemary-Orange Cauliflower Purée created by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of public radio’s splendid The Splendid Table. And it’s hard to see how Food Day or any other autumn day couldn’t be improved by the delicious whole grain Apple Crisp offered by Food Network and Cooking Channel’s Krieger.

“Part of the point of Food Day is to inspire Americans to return to their stoves and get cooking again for themselves and their loved ones,” said Simonds, author of the award-winning Asian cookbook A Spoonful of Ginger and the forthcoming Simple Asian Meals. “I hope this collection of easy recipes entices people and encourages them to try healthy and delicious new dishes. Food Day is a great time to start.”

The Cooking Channel, the sister network to the Food Network, will also encourage Americans to cook by incorporating filmmaker Morgan Spurlock into its ‘Food People’ campaign. Morgan talks about his own formative food experiences and encouraging viewers to visit FoodDay.org. Dole Food is publicizing Food Day by putting Food Day stickers on 100 million bananas, and Bolthouse Farms is putting Food Day logos on 11 million bags of carrots between now and Food Day. Epicurious.com, in partnership with Whole Foods Market, will be encouraging foodies to host house parties to raise money for local food pantries, with regional menu ideas from their award-winning recipe database, as well as a Facebook contest starting October 6.

Besides recipes, other resources for Food Day organizers include brochures, posters, conversation cards, postcard petitions, pumpkin carving stencils, and a film screening guide. Already, more than 1,000 events around the country are on an interactive map at FoodDay.org, including small house parties, conferences at colleges and universities, policy announcements, events at farmers markets, food festivals, and more. And Food Day’s online store offers everything from logo-emblazoned t-shirts to mugs.