Side Dishes.

About a year and a half ago our family started switching to Slow Food. It has been a rather difficult and interesting journey.

One of the main principles on which we all focused was understanding the beauty of food. We stopped fast food and chain restaurant eating (Well, at least 2 of us did. One still has the office-peer-pressure of the drive-thru to work through, but he is getting there). We stopped box-mixes and ready-mades. Everything was cooked from scratch- excepting certain staples like pasta, pasta sauce, ketchup, and mayonnaise.

The second thing I focused on was heritage foods (since I am sole cook for my family this was all on me). Since ingredients from my heritage aren't available (pumpkin, maple syrup, molasses, squash, cane sugar, cornmeal) I went with the heritage of my new home. My mother-in-law kindly gave me her cook book from 1970-something, all in Dutch, so I can learn the traditional recipes as well as improve my vocabulary.

And now, after a full year, I have a chance to reflect on how this has changed our family.

• Switching to only real butter (bye bye margarine!) hasn't increased our cholesterol levels. In fact, tests we took before and after the switch shows our levels going from "a bit on the high side but still normal" down to "safely in the normal range."

• We have become "from scratch" snobs. It is really rather funny to hear a 10-year-old use the phrase "that offends my palate" when asked if she wants a happy meal. Whipped cream from a can is disgusting- and yes, both myself and the child regularly turn down desserts because we find the chemical taste of pre-processed-anything repulsive. The husband graciously offers to eat our share, just to be polite and not wasteful. What a martyr.

• There is a heightened sense of flavor. It's rather fun to be able to play in the big leagues and actually pick out the individual seasonings. We use words like: balance, nuance, and subtle when discussing a dish and actually know what we are talking about. Heck, it's rather fun just discussing a dish in the first place.

• Dutch people come to me, the non-Dutch person, for "real, honest" Dutch food. I joke I make the best hutspot in the world. I do a darn good erwtensoep. About the only thing I won't cook are Dutch pancakes and Dutch pie crust. The American in me just won't allow it. Besides, I need to keep some of my heritage alive as well. It's my excuse and I am sticking to it.

• You are more adventurous in eating foods. We no longer scan a menu desperately trying to find something familiar. The words "surprise us" have come out of our mouths at a restaurant on more than one occasion. We have all eaten sweetbreads. And liked it.

• You are more adventurous in cooking foods. I remember the first time I made coq au vin. I was nervous, I was scared, and then I realized how simple it was. Same thing with rack of lamb. Now, if I can only master an angel food cake I will be truly happy.

• You can't exchange recipes. It's amazing the number of people who give you a recipe telling you to start with a boxed cake or brownie mix. Or add such-and-such brand sauce packet or stuffing mix. You would be amazed at the number of from scratch recipes that have ingredient lists that are anything but. Most people don't realize that "Bisquick" isn't a staple- it's a boxed mix. These same people aren't thrilled with my "it takes how long?!!?" recipes that I contribute, either. I found it best just to avoid the exchanges.

Here we are, on Old Year's Day ready to head into 2010. My contribution to the neighborhood potluck? Several liters of from-scratch eggnog. Better get cracking, I only have 7 more hours to go until party time and need every minute of it.

Slow food is certainly that.