Interview: Ask Ben Starr About the Future of Food

samzenpus (5) writes "Ben Starr is a chef, travel writer, reality TV star, wine and beer brewer, cheesemaker, and ultimate food geek. Ben traveled all 7 continents in his early 20s, staying with local families and learning to cook the cuisines of the world in home kitchens and local markets. FRANK, his underground Dallas restaurant, has a waitlist of 3,000 and reservations are selected by random lottery. He is a passionate local and sustainable food advocate. Ben is a flag waver for the new generation of chefs who embrace modern technology, and his Camp Potluck feeds hundreds of hungry Burning Man attendees every year. Ben has agreed to put down his chef's knife and answer your questions. As usual, ask as many as you'd like, but please, one question per post."

Comments

Kitchen Knives

[cphilo]

What knives do you recommend? I use Chicago Cutlery, but I have been told that Wusthof is worth the money.

Antarctica Cuisine?

[jellomizer]

It says you went to all 7 continents "staying with local families and learning to cook the cuisines of the world"

Wouldn't Antarctica just be canned food. As the locals are only there temporary. Or is there a really good Penguin Soup?

Re:Antarctica Cuisine?

[necro81]

Wouldn't Antarctica just be canned food. As the locals are only there temporary

It depends a bit on where on the continent you are, and during what time of year. All the (sizable) bases have cooking facilities, mess halls, and full-time cooking staff. There are fridges and freezers, so the cooking can be a lot more sophisticated than opening a can and heating over a flame. During the summer, fresh produce comes in with just about every flight - even to the South Pole station. Some places grow their own greens year-round. Some more details can be found in Werner Herzog's documentary Encounters at the End of the World .

That said, the facilities are run by subcontractors, not restaurateurs. So it's probably a lot like base food you would find anywhere. Hunting the local wildlife (such as it is) is banned, and there isn't local vegetation to speak of.

Food?

[GarethIwanFairclough]

[snark]We already know the future of food; it's going to be eaten :P [/snark]

What's your take on the whole "vertical farming" and "hydroponics" thing?

Re:After seeing the Republicans

[jellomizer]

I know I am feeding the troll, but I need a break from work.
The Republicans are not Anti-Science, they are food "Good News" Science, say GMO Foods, and new technologies, stuff they can say look how much money science is making us.
What they don't like is Bad news science, where it means a company will need to change their production and loose money. As well if a particular science seems to clash with a religion of a voter base.

That said, If say the Evangelicals started to vote Democrat, you will see a new set of democrats fighting against putting evolution in schools.

Politicians are not for and against science. They are just going to have a position that gets them their most votes.