Eat-In Bra
06 Oct 2008

Bra, the hometown of Slow Food in the Piedmont region of Italy, was the chosen location for the first EAT-In outside of the USA last Friday, October 3. In the early evening around 200 young people gathered in the main piazza to enjoy a selection of local, seasonal dishes cooked in students’ homes in a protest against fast food.
Following the Eat-In concept, 106 students from the University of Gastronomic Science were at the ready with their shoppers to source the best ingredients for their dishes at the morning market, which they spent the afternoon cooking in kitchens dotted around town. Simple but carefully prepared recipes took advantage of the season and included a colorful array of aubergines, broccoli, pumpkin, peppers and zucchini.
So, what exactly is an Eat-In you might be wondering? According to the Eat-In Manifesto, it is:
– a protest against food that is fast, cheap and easy
– a demand for food that is good, clean and fair
– a statement that eating is our common language and a universal right
– a celebration of the people who grow, produce, sell and cook our food
– a call to action for the generation inheriting our food system to get out of their cars, turn off their computers and come to the table
All those attending brought a dish to share as well as their own plate and cutlery. The City of Bra supported the event by organizing the venue, under the arches of Piazza XX Settembre, and also provided the tables and chairs, while Slow Food provided the wine. In addition, the council prepared a lunch of regional produce for the students, old and new, that same day.
If the sound of this celebration of sustainable food production and consumption whets your appetite, read on to see how you can start to Eat-In in your local area:
-invite old and new friends into your kitchen to cook. Invite other friends to cook in other kitchens. Five or fifty people can Eat-In
-go to the farmers’ markets to buy your ingredients. Shake the hands that feed you
-set your table in a park, on a farm, in front of a city hall, or across the drive-thru lane of your local McDonald’s
-eat together
For more information visit the EAT-INS website
Victoria Blackshaw
[email protected]
Photo: Edoardo Cervigni
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