Gotham Gal

The US is still the land of opportunity

Both of our daughters, Jessica and Emiliy go to Wesleyan University.  I am a huge fan of the institution.  The kids they have brought home a slew of friends that are all intellectually curious, confident and think globally.  From my view, the education there is academically challenging yet the arts are so strong that there is a esoteric vibe that runs through the school.  A unique place as every educational institution is.

Michael Roth is the President of Wesleyan.  This past weekend he wrote a piece in the book section of the New York TImes reviewing a book called College, What It Was, Is and Should Be by Andrew Debalnco. He wrote about the book but commented on something that I have always felt that college was about, a place where you grow through developing your own sense of responsibility, thoughts, community, learning from your peers and educating your mind.  The book looks at the history of how our colleges were originally versed in the views that I have always felt but have turned in something else and why.  Particularly as we are entering an era of haves and have-nots when it comes to getting a college education because of the costs this book is hitting on an interesting subject.

Roth writes that "selective college and universities ought to be shaping campus communities that maximize each undergraduates ability to go beyond his or her comfort zone to learn from the most unexpected sources.  To do so, and to deliver on the promise of our deals, we must maintain robust financial aid programs and end the street rise of tuition.  If we're to become more affordable adn more responsible, we must replace spending for cachet with investments in student learning."

I couldn't agree more with his thoughts.  I am going to read the book that he reviewed and I would suggest anyone who is starting a company to disrupt the education industry that this is a book worth checking out.  The author is a faculty member at Columbia University.

So why did I call this post "the US is still the land of opportunity"?  Everything above makes us all fearful that we will no longer be able to see people who come from nothing make a change in their lives through education in the US.  We built this country on those values.  Well, Wesleyan just graduated a person like that and his name is Kennedy Odede and he delivered the welcome speech at the commencement ceremony in May.  It is absolutely worth the read.

Today, I stand before you as the first person from Africa’s largest slum to graduate from an American university.
For most of my life, I never imagined that one day I would be standing here.
For me, Wesleyan is HOPE.

You, the class of 2012, and my time at Wesleyan have changed me forever.

I grew up in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, where more than a million people live in an area the size of Central Park—without sewage systems, roads, running water, or access to basic rights like health care and education.

I was the oldest of eight children in a family that could not afford food, much less school fees. In Kibera, I dreamed of many things: food to eat, clean water to drink, safety from the violence, and relief from oppression that surrounded me.

Today, I want to tell you three stories about hope.

One day when I was seven years old, my mom and I set out early in the morning with $3 in her pocket that we had saved over many months. My mother wanted to enroll me into an informal school in the slum. As we walked through Kibera, I went on about learning to read, growing up to be a teacher or a doctor, and my mom told me, gently, not to get my hopes too high.

When we reached the school, I was smiling from ear to ear, so excited about the bright future ahead. The principal told us that while they did have open spaces, the school fees were $10 per year—not $3. My mom, a woman of great pride, begged and pleaded but had no luck.

As we left, I saw the children playing in their bright school uniforms, and as I looked down at my torn clothes, tears began to stream down my face. I wanted to be them so badly—I saw opportunity in front of me but knew that I could not be part of it. My mom told me that she was sorry. She had tried her best.
Love gives us hope, and none of us got here today on our own. Throughout our journeys many people have shown us this kind of love and dedication—which in turn fuels the hope and love that we share with the world. Today my brother, sister and best friend came all the way from Kibera to celebrate with us. I want to thank them for being a part of my journey.

My second story.

When I was 18, I had a job in a factory. My work started at 7 and ended at 5, with a 2-hour walk each way. I could not afford the 10 cents needed for transport.
I performed hard labor—dangerous work-for $1.50 per day. One day I realized, this was going to be my whole life.

When I arrived home to the slum that evening, I was horrified to discover that my friend Alvin had hanged himself—tired of living a life confined to poverty with only one possible goal: survival.

This was a moment that changed me. I did not want to waste my life.
With twenty cents from my job, I bought a soccer ball and started a movement of young people fighting for social justice in Kibera. While I was growing this movement, I met a Wesleyan student studying abroad in Nairobi. She thought I should apply to a school I’d never heard of, and without knowing what would happen, I said yes!

I was awarded the Bob and Margaret Patricelli scholarship.

My mom was so sad to see me leave—but then I translated the cost of a scholarship to Wesleyan into the numbers of cows that you could buy for the same amount.

As you can imagine, it was a lot of cows. Then, she almost picked me up and put me on the plane herself.
When I first arrived at Wes, I was totally confused. Luckily—I met all of you at the freshman orientation.
I did not know how to work a printer, use a shower, and could not understand how money could be stored on a little piece of plastic known as “Wes Card.”

During the first week of classes, I would furiously sprint from class to the dining hall, determined to be the first in line. One day, a classmate saw me and asked, “Kennedy, why are you running?” I explained that I wanted to get there before the food got finished. He said, “Here the food doesn’t get ‘finished,’ Usdan is open until lunch time ends.” What struck me the most about the class of 2012 was the kindness exhibited in explanations like this. Never before in my life had I felt valued. I always felt that growing up poor was something to be ashamed of, and at first I was scared to talk about my past. But then the class of 2012 showed me this kindness on many occasions.

I had arrived at an incredible place.

I said yes, AND my life changed.

I believe we will only live in a better world if we are willing to take risks to make it a reality, only if we are willing to say
YES.

My fellow graduates, I hope that we continue to say YES today, tomorrow and throughout our lives.

Finally, when we dare to hope, we create more hope in the world, which is my last story.

In my freshman dorm room at 200 Church, I founded the nonprofit Shining Hope for Communities with the help of another Wes student, Jessica Posner. Through Shining Hope we built the Kibera School for Girls—the slum’s first tuition-free school for girls.

Shining Hope grew because the entire Wesleyan community embraced it: from my mentor Professor Rob Rosenthal, who first told me, in true Wesleyan fashion, that I should “go for it,” to every Wesleyan student who has ever bought a bracelet.

Wesleyan students, professors, faculty and alumni fueled this change in my community, and SHOFCO has grown to build a health clinic, clean water, and community services that will reach over 30,000 people this year.
Together we are building hope across the world.

My dream is to attend a Wesleyan commencement 13 years from now, and sit where our families are today, to watch a graduate of the Kibera School for Girls accept a Wesleyan diploma, proving yet again that it does not matter where you come from—only where you want to go.

Hope! This is ALL our stories.
Wesleyan took a chance NOT just on me, BUT on ALL of us.

Wesleyan took our hopes—both for ourselves and for the world—seriously. Wesleyan told us that these hopes matter, that they mean something. Our teachers have given us the knowledge to ensure that we keep these hopes alive, even when the world responds with cynicism and challenges.

With our Wesleyan education, our dreams have the power to shape our communities, bringing the world to life through us.
Class of 2012, as we graduate today, our hopes are officially unleashed.

Congratulations Class of 2012— or as we say in Kenya, hongera!

I want to ask my fellow graduates for a promise. Please repeat after me:

“Today I promise
To use my Wesleyan education
To champion hope throughout the world.”

Thank you.

 

 

 

Ripe, Nigel Slater, a cook in the orchard

When we move back into our apartment, after the flood, I will be reuniting with my cookbooks.  I truly get most of ideas for recipes from either my brain, Food52 and the latest food magazine that landed in my mailbox. 

I have stopped buying hard back books, for all intensive purposes, and have moved to Kindle.  I do buy art books and always buy the book of any museum exhibit I go to.  As for cookbooks, I rarely purchase them and at this point I am down to just a handful a year.  Once in awhile there is one that kind of separates from the crowd and right now that would be Ripe, a cook in the orchard by Nigel Slater. 

The book is a worthy ready.  His writing is beautiful.  He describes the beauty of everything grown in the orchard and what can be made with it.  The recipes are unique.  There are 23 chapters starting with Apples and ending with White Currants ( and a few other good things ).  The photos are gorgeous too. 

It is actually one of those cookbooks that I might have to carry with me to the beach this summer or just buy an extra.  I am actually going to back and buy his first book, Tender, immediately. 

The Hunger Games

It has taken me awhile to get some space between seeing the movie, The Hunger Games, and not being disturbed.  If you don't know anything about the movie, it is based on a popular series of books by Suzanne Collins.  I have not read any of the books but they are quite popular among teens and some adults.  After seeing the move, I am committed to reading at least the first book.  I have been told by several people that the books are amazing and much more violent than the film. 

A brief summary on the plot.  The setting takes place in a post-apocalyptic world which could be the United States.  Capitol is the city where the dictator of the Governnment lives who runs the rest of the country which is divided into 12 districts.  Capitol is futuristic and wealthy, the districts are not.  The districts are each different and it appears that one is for the coal miners, one is for the grain farmers, etc.  In order to keep the districts in line, each year a boy and a girl is picked at random (lottery style) from each district to be in the Hunger Games.  The Hunger Games is annual form of entertainment put on by the media almost akin to the survival shows we see on TV now.  The people who run the Hunger Games show also manipulate what happens during the live event with random fire, giving out life lines such a medication etc.

Bottom line, there are 24 kids (12 boys and 12 girls) who are randomly picked and thrown into a contained area where they are forced to survive until the death of 23 of them take place.  One person wins.  The people living in the Capitol as well as the districts watch the games as they are streamed live over large TV's throughout each area.  There are cheers when kids are killed as the game continues to the end. 

The main character, played by Jennifer Lawrence, is a smart and savvy hunter.  Girls are responding to the girl power part of her role as she is brave and tough.  Bottom line, there are kids killing kids for the decadence of the people in the Capitol...kind of reminiscent of the Gladiator but the characters in this particular plot look like us, dress like us and act like us not like Romans in togas.

In the world that we live in today where teens have access to guns and violence and bullying are top topics in schools and there is a growing divide between the haves and have-nots, this movie can certainly make for some interesting conversation after the show.  If you take your kids, there should be more than one conversation about the film.  I recommend going because the film in many ways defines the times as it is a huge hit but prepare yourself, I walked away upset and distrubed with the content particularly as kids in the audience cheered when another kid was killed because Jennifer Lawrence was still alive.  Ouch. 

Talking with My Mouth Full, My Life as a Professional Eater, Gail Simmons

Gail Simmons is one of the lovliest people.  She lives in a world where it would be very easy to become snooty but she is just a good Jewish girl from Toronto who counts her lucky stars every night...and she should. 

Her book, Talking with My Mouth Full, My Life as a Professional Eater,  is an absolutely worthy read.  The book reads as if you are getting a full account of how she got where she did as if you were having dinner with Gail or chatting with her at a cocktail party.  She is transparent about her life, her family and just about everything. 

She pursued the world of food and timing wise she hit the perfect wave.  Her experiences from working with Jeffrey Steingarten to Daniel Bolud to Food and Wine where she ran the Aspen Food and Wine Festival to being the on Americas Top chef that has defined a generation of foodies, chefs and a burgeoning industry. 

If you love the food industry, you will love this book.  Gail is smart and has truly taken the opportunities that have come her way and grabbed them with bravado as she educated herself at every turn.  The book is an education giving the reader a glimpse into the reality of all aspects of the food industry.

 

 

Feeding Eden, Susan Weissman

The first time I had dinner with Susan and her husband Andy they told me about their kids and that one of them had severe allergies.  My response, I believe, was that sucks.  I know how hard it is because I had seen with two families that we knew live with severe food allergy kids.

The constant fear of something terrible happening looms over head at all times.  Something terrible could mean death.  I learned how to administer an eppi pen so that I could walk one of the kids to Hebrew school on occasion.  I watched as they packed a special meal for their child everyday including a special snack. Most of their food was baked with loving hands at home.  I heard the stories of going to the hospital every year to get tested again and again to see if they had grown out of their allergies. 

One of the kids actually did grow out of most of their allergies, the other did not.  Along with those allergies come other things such a eczema and for this particular kid ocular issues.  What was fascinating to me is how so many people disregard their fears as if having life threatening allergies wasn't real.  Like serving salty nuts at a party where kids are running around with that on their skin or handing a slice of pizza to their kid at a party.  So not ok and so disrespectful not having any regard for what that family goes through. Just plain stupid and perhaps uninformed.

Susan writes about the trials and triumphs of having a food allergy family.  It is not a deck you want to be dealt.  She is honest and transparent about the difficulties and the frustrations that she encountered.  As kids with allergies has become less rare and more prevelant in our society, this is a book that every parent should read.  It really helps you understand exactly the dynamics of living with life threatening allergies.  Every teacher should read it too.  It is a book that needed to be written...and should be read.

(Feeding Eden can pre-order the book on Amazon - it comes out on March 6).

Food 52 Cookbook

Food 52 is the first crowd sourced cookbook.  A beautiful cookbook with 140 recipes.  I have a big place in my heart for this book.  This book is an idea that was hatched a few years ago.  The concept was to crowd source recipes from engaged home chefs around the globe that would submit their recipe based on the recipe concept of the week.  Each recipe would be tested out by Amanda and Merrill and a winner would be announced at the end of the week.  Each weekly winner would end up in the cookbook that would be produced year end.  This idea was sold to Harper Studio and they gave Amanda and Merrill money to do these two cookbooks and with that money they built the platform to create the cookbook, Food 52. 

A wonderful story...and a wonderful cookbook.  Food 52 has certainly evolved with over half a million page views a month, an engaged audience, a daily aggregation of the top food stories of the day, curated products to buy and an iPhone app.  And there is absolutely more to come. 

For me, as an investor in this company, it has been really gratifying to work with a group of women (women President too) as they have taken an idea and turned it into a business and community.  I am sure that for both Amanda and Merrill that holding that cookbook in their hands was an incredible feeling of pure joy.  

 

 

Bi-Rite and more

When I was out in San Francisco for twelve hours this past month my one desire was to go to the BI-Rite market.  I had been following the transformation of the Bi-Rite market for the past couple of years.  A market that had been in the family for years but had changed hands to the next generation in 1997. 

Sam Mogannam is the son who took over Bi-Rite and returned to the roots of what a grocery store used to be.  Grocery stores used to be the center of the town, the pillar of the community where local farmers sold their wares, where recipes were exchanged and local economies were created.  Sam not only made BI-Rite into an incredible shopping and learning experience, he opened a creamery down the street, bought a farm and started a non-profit, 18 Reasons, to bring people together to around sustainable food.  Returning Bi-Rite to its roots transformed the neighborhood.  Proving that there was something about the original concept of small towns and each individual purveyor on Main Street.  We lost that along the way and in his corner in San Francisco he is bringing it back. 

One of the things I love about America is when things needs to change it is the people who change it first.  The farm to table movement is a perfect example.  People are waking up to the revolution of how important it is to know where our food is coming from, to nurture our bodies with healthy foods, to support our local farmers and to eat responsibly.  It might cost more to buy organic fruits but at least you know that peach wasn't sprayed with chemicals.  We need to value our food.  It also doesn't hurt to share meals with friends and family a few times a week.

I read the cookbook from cover to cover.  Sam is a man on a mission.  I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Chelsea Market this past weekend too.  At the same time, I finished reading The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn.  Her book is about transforming 9 culinary novices into fearless home cooks.  These 9 cooks started out filling their cabinets with processed food and after Kathleen taught them to shop in places like Bi-Rite and Greenmarkets but more important how to cook and cut up a chicken.  Each of the 9 cooks realized that not only was it less expensive to cook your own meals it made them feel better and it tasted good.  A win win for everyone. 

Both of these books are writing about the food movement that has taken place in the last few years throughout the country and how each author has taken part in it.  I enjoyed them both.  Bi-Rite is an incredibly unique marketplace that would be well served in any community.  I'd love to open one in my neighborhood supporting all the local food vendors that are cropping up all over the area.  Let's hope that we see more Bi-Rite type stores open across the country supporting community and local farmers.  Buy the Bi-Rite book.  A worthy read with some terrific recipes to boot. 

 

 

Susie's Supper Club Cookbook

Susie Cover is the woman behind Susie's Supper Club, a prepared food delivery service in NYC.  The business has taken a variety of turns (as most do) and you can now buy some of those delicious products in the freezer section of a handful of Whole Foods. 

I met Susie because she happens to be married to Rick Field of Ricks Picks.  Yes, they eat very well in that family.  I love Susie's cooking because she cooks exactly like how I like to eat and cook myself.  SImple preparation with the right fresh ingredients make the best meals. No fuss. 

This cookbook is a really about kid-friendly meals but totally works for the whole family.  The cookbook is beautifully done.  Sits perfectly between Donna Hay and Barefoot Contessa, two of my other faves who make delicious simple food.  Emily made the muffins above and they might have been one of the best banana muffins I have ever had.  Moist, simple and just delicious.

The book, The Supper Club,  comes in paperback so you can really use it in the kitchen.  Order it.  Its a winner. 

Patti Smith, Just Kids

I have never been a huge Patti Smith fan when it comes to her music.  Many people told me what a great book it was and when Emily gave it the nod I picked it up. 

Just Kids is an incredible book.  It isn't just the story of Patti and her journey to be an artist, it is a heartfelt love story between her and Robert Mapplethorp who she literally grabbed on the street one night asking him to pretend to be her boyfriend to get out of a date (actually a ticket for a meal) that went awry.  Mapplethorp and Smith became inseparable friends and lovers.  Nurturing each other in their desire to live as artists and their story is one that Patti had to tell. 

Patti is a proflic artist from books to drawing to writing music and poetry.  She comes across as a truly humble woman and my guess is she is.  Funny enough, years ago I spoke to Patti on the phone.  Her kid, Jesse, went to Little Red and I called her as we were making a major shift on how the school went about raising the money for their annual fund.  She couldn't have been nicer and more honest about her love for the school and her real ability to give something to the fund. 

Definitely a book worth reading.

The Hundred-Foot Journey

I had lunch with a friend about a week ago and she handed me the debut novel called  The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais.  She loved it so much that she brought me a copy and said I had to read it.  Needless to say, I was totally intrigued. 

I picked up the book on Tuesday night after hunkering down for the evening.  I closed my eyes after I read the last page and closed the book.  What a wonderful book. 

This book is about food, family and life.  It begins in India and grabs our senses.  We follow the family moving from India to London and then to a small village in the French Alps.  They have always been in the restaurant business.  They open up a restaurant in the French Alps across the street from a Michelin rated restaurant who is aghast at having an Indian restaurant across the street yet the son is an incredible cook.  Like a perfect ear, he has the perfect palate.  Tensions arise but in the end this Michelin rated chef helps this young man from India rise to the top of the food chain in Paris.

It is a wonderful journey through food and culture.  What I also loved is how the author wove real life stories through the novel.  Stories that actually happened in the food world in Paris.

A beautiful book.  If you love food, it is a must read.