Breaking Bread in Portland

Portland’s Farmers Market

The International Association of Culinary Professionals’ 2010 conference shows that food can be the first step in bridging a divide between different countries, religions and generations.

By Kevin Woo  September 2010

KAMAL MOUZAWAK WANTS TO BRING PEACE TO THE MIDDLE EAST, and his weapons  of choice include flatbread,  baked  goods and chickpeas.  Strange ammunition you might say, but he says food is key to bringing people together. Without question,  the most serious disagreement in the Middle  East is over the occupation of land.

Other  arguments, Mouzawak says, center on the origin of food. Arabs and Israelis argue about who invented falafel. Egyptians lay claim to its origins, Israelis have adopted it as their national dish and the Lebanese  Industrialists’ Association once contemplated a lawsuit asserting that the Lebanese own the copyright to the food.

That’s a lot of pressure for a little chickpea.

To  bridge this culinary divide, Mouzawak founded  Souk el-Tayeb,  a farmers market in downtown Beirut, where Arabs, Christians and Israelis set aside their differences to shop (peacefully) for baked goods, yogurts, fruits, vegetables and fresh juices. “The land, agriculture and food bring us back to basic life and needs,” he said. “Food still is an authentic expression of what one is and was. Food is still an important element of pride and what immigrants took and kept forever.”

Mouzawak, who is a chef, author and a TV personality in Lebanon, has dedicated his life to bringing citizens together. In addition to Souk el-Tayeb,  Mouzawak has created two programs: a farmers’ exchange, which puts Lebanese farmers in touch with growers in other countries to improve global agriculture, and Souk @ School, which teaches students about organic growing and sustainable farming.

IACP Visits Portland

Mouzawak’s experience in Lebanon caught the attention of the International Association of Culinary Professionals  (IACP), which invited him to speak at its 900-delegate 32nd annual conference this April in Portland, Oregon.

Ruth  Reichl, the former  editor  of Gourmet, delivered  the conference’s keynote address, noting how Portland symbolizes the food industry’s change in the past 20 years. “A luxurious restaurant was, at one time, defined by its fine china, a thick wine list, acres of flowers, foie gras, lobster, caviar and champagne,” Reichl said. “That definition has changed dramatically. The height of luxury in a restaurant today is a place that grows its own produce, raises its own animals and maybe presses its own olive oil. Today’s consumers want local and seasonal food.”

And so, conference delegates were introduced to luxury dining—Portland style— by local chefs who hosted “night owl” events at restaurants throughout the city. The diners feasted on meals made from locally grown food, tasted some of the world’s best microbrews (Portland has the nation’s highest concentration of microbreweries) and spoke with local culinary  professionals about the city’s sustainable food programs.

One of those local culinary professionals is Jeana  Edelman, co-owner of HOTLIPS, a small regional chain of upscale pizza restaurants. She played host to an ad hoc gathering  of IACP members who showed interest in learning how she manages relationships with local growers and how she developed  her menus based on the availability of ingredients. “They wanted to know what skills a team needs to pull off a program like ours,” Edelman said. “We truly believe that only good is to gain from growing close to home.”

Her menu is delectable proof of this commitment. In addition to pizza made with locally grown produce,  HOTLIPS also sells locally sourced  fare: berry  jam and soda, hot sauce and organic jalapenos. Edelman evangelizes the benefits of supporting regional agriculture: buying from local growers reduces the levels of toxins in food and cuts down on the amount of fossil fuel needed to transport it. IACP members also visited the Portland Farmers  Market, a weekly showcase of produce, baked goods, cheeses, seafood and specialty items from local vendors. Last year, vendors generated sales of more than US$6 million.

The main market runs weekends on the campus of Portland State University. It attracts more than 26,000 shoppers and 250 growers during the height of the growing season and has become so popular among Portlanders that mini markets have sprung up around the city to meet demand. Cooking demonstrations, classes for kids and seasonal festivals (such as the Thanksgiving FEASTival) add to the markets’ appeal.

The International Voice

It may appear as if Portland’s agricultural strategy is light years ahead of the rest of the world,  but Karin Edny, chairwoman of IACP foundation The Culinary  Trust, says it’s a matter of perspective. She points to Mouzawak’s work in Beirut as an example.“The work he does is not that different from the Portland Farmers Market,” Edny said. “By using the same medium,  he is able to bring a community together and bridge cultural  gaps. Kamal has faced challenges unknown to our U.S. members.

“The Culinary Trust’s mission is to inspire culinary professionals to act,” Edny continued. “Kamal’s theme is taking personal responsibility. Each person needs to take responsibility for their actions, including what they eat.  If each individual takes responsibility to eat ethically, broader change will have to come.”

Mouzawak says he was equally enthusiastic about his conference experience. “Food is a first step in bridging the great divide between different  countries, religions and generations,” he said. “Let’s leave aside what takes us apart—religion, politics—and let’s look at what can bring us together.”

Breaking bread is certainly a good place to start. One+