What is an artisan, what is artisanal what is a martial artist?

I want to sort of continue with the diet theme for this week.  We are tracking what we are eating and blogging about the journey for the month of April so why not continue with it?  I am sure that anyone that has read my last blog post will attest to, I am a proud baker.  Now let’s for a moment explore what this over used word “artisan” really means Vs what main stream retailers and the media has made it out to be.

Definition of “artisan” Via the Oxford dictionary states – “a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand”.  To further elaborate on this would be to get the definition of “artisanal” as it applies to any artisan trade.  The Oxford definition of “artisanal” is - “relating to or characteristic of an artisan - (of a product, especially food or drink) made in a traditional or non-mechanized way:artisanal cheeses.  So when I think of the definition of the word “artisan and artisanal” my thoughts are of a hand crafted product made in small batches by a skilled tradesperson who takes great cake in making things by hand, a “one of a kind” type product”.  Now I am going to direct your attention to my passion which is baking. I want you to think about how many times you have seen the word “artisan bread” when you walk through a grocery store?  I can tell you for a fact that every large supermarket uses this “marketing terminology” for the perception that it employs to the consumer.  I can also tell you that most every loaf of bread in that is marketed in this way does not fit the Oxford dictionaries definition of artisan or artisanal in any way.   

Consumers have been duped by mass media marketing into thinking that the products they are buying are made by artisans or are artisanal in nature are quite the opposite.  They are mass produced products made in large “bread factories” with little to no “made by hand” applications.  How can this be artisan or artisanal?  Well it’s not; it’s just marketed this way to get you to think in your rush home after work that you are buying something that is good for you.  Well in fact that is quite the opposite, these large bakeries are putting dough conditioners, preservatives and chemicals into the dough to speed the process as fast as possible in order to produce as many loaves of “artisan bread” that they possibly can in a single shift!  These chemicals such as SSL (sodium stearoyl lactylate), azodicarbonamide, DATEM (diacetyl tartaric esters of mono & diglycerides) are added to the dough to speed up and strengthen the dough during this high speed process. I still can't even properly pronounce them or spell them correctly and yet they are in our food supply...

“High speed process”… artisan and artisanal… in the same sentence?  How can than this be?  When we reflect on the definitions of these two words, can they be used in the same sentence that “high speed process” is used?  No, but that is the truth behind what you as a consumer are buying and what these supermarkets are selling to you.

When I wrote my blog last week, I never really touched on what it means to call yourself an “artisan” and what it really means to produce “artisanal product”.  The products that I make, I can proudly call “artisanal” as they are made in very small batches, made completely by hand and each loaf is unique.  I use only the best ingredients that I can find, the process is very long (upwards of 24 to 48 hours) before the product is ready to be consumed.  This dedication to the very best ingredients and to the very best process will in most cases allow people who are “gluten sensitive” to be able to eat my bread.  When I set out to do this was I concerned about “gluten free”?  Not at all.  I was most concerned about producing the very best bread that I knew how to make.  I wanted to take all of my years of experience in the trade, everything I learnt and apply it to my craft.  I wanted to make a loaf of bread that most people have never tasted, one that was of very high quality and something I could be proud of.

When I think of martial arts and what it is to be a “martial artist” I think the very same things apply.  I see similarities between the two.  Like any artisan, we are applying ourselves to be the very best kung fu martial artist we can.  We are learning our trade from masters in the kwoon just like I learned from masters in my trade.  It took me many years to get my level of craft to where it is and the same can be said about kung fu.  I applied and dedicated myself to learning and seeking out everything I could from people I respected so that I could be the very best baker I could be.  The same is with my kung fu training; I am seeking out and learning from every Sifu in the school as well as my peers. 

It is this dedication that will eventually lead you to being a true artisan in your chosen craft.  This is the dedication that I will need in order to become the very best kung fu martial artist that I can.  This process of mastery is the process that I have followed as an artisan bakery long before I had ever heard or read “Mastery by Stewart Emery”.   When I reflect upon what Mr. Emery has written about Mastery, I see pieces of what I have applied to my professional craft.  I see area’s that I need to improve upon, but I now see a road map of how to be a better artisan and a better martial artist.

Mr. Repay

Student of Silent River Kung Fu

Stony Plain, Alberta

Follow me – ianrepay@blogspot.com

Why don't you make something gluten free?

I have been seeing a tremendous amount of people "self diagnosing" what they think is bothering themselves and thinking that "gluten" must be the issue.  With so much "press" these days about "gluten free this and gluten free that" I felt that I need to write a blog post that would effectively describe the benefits of wheat that dates back as long as we have been on this planet.  As an artisan baker, I felt that now was the time to "set the record" straight from my point of view.  What you are reading was not written by myself but I could not have written it any better.  Please take the time to read what is below and have an open mind before you "diagnose yourself" that you need to eliminate gluten from your diet as such is the "FAD" right now.

A gluten FAQ 

Why don't you make something gluten free? I get a lot of questions about whether or my bread contains gluten. Gluten's been getting a pretty bad rap nowadays. We bakers weathered the storm of the no-carb fad, shaking ourselves off only to get slammed anew by the seeming epidemic of gluten intolerance. Many folks, spooked by the same nutritional-information apparatus that gave us Fat Free Everything twenty years ago, have a general impression that gluten, whatever it is, must be a Bad Thing, and that if bakers would just not put it in their bread we'd all be better off. So, at the risk of upsetting a lot of people who blame gluten for a myriad of health problems ranging from mild discomfort to the extreme (miscarriage, autism), I'm going to get on my soapbox and say my piece in defense of the basic ingredient of my craft---the magical wheat plant.

First, a little history. It's thought that the cultivation of wheat began in Turkey, 11,000 years ago, though the cultivation of barley probably predates that. The first breads were actually unleavened, pastes made by Neolithic people from pulverizing wild grass seeds and sun drying them to form the first flatbreads. Leavened bread was invented (or discovered) by the Egyptians, who had already figured out the fermentation of grains for the purpose of beer-making; and found that same wild yeast could create a leavened loaf. Beer and bread are ancient buddies. The wild yeast (what we refer to as "sourdough") organisms break down the starches and proteins in the wheat flour, producing carbon dioxide gas that makes bread rise. The rest is history: bakers have been producing countless variations on this concept ever since, from the simplest recipe containing only wheat, water, and salt, to every imaginable combination of grain and enrichment.

I could wax poetic over the properties of bread for hours (especially if you buy me a beer), but let's skip to the gluten part. What is this stuff, anyway? Glutenin and gliadin, the two proteins predominant in wheat, link together during mixing to become the chains of proteins we call gluten. This combination has the special properties of strength and elasticity necessary to support the structure created by the expansion of yeast-produced gas----or in other words those big holes and airy crumb of your favorite baguette. Which is why, as anyone who has tried can attest, it's really hard to get a good texture in a wheat-free bread. Recipes typically include everything and the kitchen sink: potato starch, cornflour, tapioca starch, eggwhites, cellulose, Xanthan gum. I had to look up Xanthan gum, which, according to Wikipedia, is a "highly efficient laxative." My knee-jerk reaction: could this recipe really be healthier than flour, salt and water?

Complicated recipes with mysterious ingredients are the hallmark of our modern nutritionist culture, and a sign of our disconnect from ancient food traditions. I believe when we're told something has to be created in a laboratory and added to food, because it's "good for you," we should question. By the same token I distrust removing something that is naturally part of a food, especially one the ancient Greeks were making and probably digesting just fine.

 

If gluten isn't really bad for you, then why do I feel so much better when I don't eat bread? I do believe people when they say changing their diet makes them feel better. I also think we should take a closer look at some of the reasons. How is our bread now different from those loaves made in ancient Greece? I may be ignorant of the science involved, but I don't see how we can figure that gluten is the guilty party when so few of the other critical elements have been addressed. For instance, the way we farm: where and how was the wheat produced? Was it doused with herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers, or bleached before getting to the shelf? What about additives and preservatives? And what about the baking method? Here's an interesting perspective from a second-generation Australian baker who points out a correlation between gluten intolerance and the additives and yeast formulations introduced in the 1950's that allowed bakers to speed up the traditionally slow fermentation process to produce bread in half the time. Bread production went from 8 hours minimum, to 4 or even less. He claims the longer fermentation is necessary to break down the complex proteins into more digestible nutrients. Artisan bakers also know a longer fermentation time makes for tastier bread, developing flavor, color and texture.

A last thought: other possibilities aside, physical and emotional well-being are inextricably linked, and often our food choices represent the ways we find to control our lives when we feel helpless. Cutting certain food categories out of one's diet usually makes one eat less overall, which also can feel good. Cutting carbohydrates and sugars can help the body regulate its insulin response, which can also be related to stress. And there's always good old fashioned weight loss mania, which will take any form given to it by those that profit from the culture of body-image. 

There's a West African word, "Sankofa," that literally translates "Go back and take it." It's often represented by a symbol of a bird taking an egg from its back, signifying the importance of taking what is good from the past to guide one's progress in the present. It's a concept that resonates very strongly with the craft of baking, which in concord with the Slow Food movement has been turning back to the age-old, time-consuming, supremely-rewarding methods of creating that symbol of ultimate comfort: fresh-baked bread.

Ian Repay

Student of Silent River Kung Fu

Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada

Diet tracking - week one update

          

It has been one week since we started tracking what we are eating on a daily basis.  There have been some very interesting learning’s from this first week.

First off in order to eat healthy and reduce the amount of fast food in my diet it takes a considerable amount of planning.  I used to grab a fast food breakfast sandwich on the way to work because this was easy and it tasted pretty good.  Well it tasted good because it is loaded with fat and salt.  I have been trying to eat breakfast at home but this is still a work in progress.  However, when I do decide to stop for a breakfast from a fast food shop, I choose healthier options like fruit, yogurt and oatmeal instead of the breakfast sandwich.  Lunch isn’t too bad as I like sandwiches’ and I take customers out for lunch which gives me the ability to sit down and eat a slower lunch.  Also when I take customers for lunch we don’t dine at a fast food restaurant so I have the ability to choose from an extensive menu.  However, there are lots of ways that restaurants fill your foods with fats and sodium so you still have to be mindful of what you are ordering.  The biggest challenged I have found is with planning for supper.  I don’t get home usually until just after 5:00pm and most nights I am leaving the house at close to 6pm to help out with the beginner class on Mondays and Wednesday.  Tuesdays are San Shou class and Fridays are weapons class.  My biggest issue is that I haven’t found a way to make supper in a short period of time those days.  I think I am going to have to plan to sit down on Saturday and plan and cook (or prep) some meals ahead of time.  This way even if the prep is done, the cooking will take much less time to complete.

Second observation is the amount of sodium that is in our food.  I have been using a great tool that I use to track my food intake.  This tool also logs calories and nutritional information and lays it for me to evaluate.  What I have found is that when I eat foods that are somewhat processed the sodium intake DOUBLES for what I am supposed to eat.  For instance, I cooked a couple of the Costco hot dogs and two hot dogs alone had a whopping 3,500 mg’s of sodium!  I couldn’t believe it was that high until I read the nutritional on the packaging.  Needless to say I won’t be eating anymore of those. 

The awareness of what is in my food is a great by product of this initiative and one that has opened my eyes to nutrition and what exactly I am putting in my body.  I have found that when I take the time to cook meals at home (which I love to do) things like salt, sugar and fats are greatly reduced and are in line with what a person like me should be eating.  It’s not rocket science to realize that cooking at home and controlling what you put in your meals will do you body a wealth of good!

I am looking forward to week #2!

Ian Repay

Student Of Silent River Kung Fu

Stony Plain, Alberta

Follow my journey @ ianrepay.blogspot.ca

Diet

It has been a long while since I first thought I should write about this.  Diet is as important to a martial artist as doing pushups and sits ups and I would think it is at the top of the heap.  Without a good quality diet, we are robbing our bodies and minds of the nutrients quality energy it needs to perform at its peak every day.

I have been guilty as to not keep a quality diet and the older I get the more impact it has on me, negatively.  I have never been one to eat breakfast throughout the week other than a coffee and perhaps a high fat, high sodium breakfast sandwich from McDonalds.  Like most people, I lead a very busy work life and they seem to build these fast food restaurants all along my routes throughout the day.  They also make it extremely easy (drive through) and extremely cheap to eat this way.  There is much more effort required (and money) to eat a healthy life style filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.  With my past two weeks in the US where fast food is even cheaper, it doesn’t surprise me anymore why there is an obesity problem.  Also the amount of low income families total the entire population of Canada, it is easier to understand why fast food is being consumed in such high quantities.  For me, it comes down to commitment to wanting to improve one’s diet.  I struggle with the planning that it takes to consistently do this every day, plan and prepare healthy meals.  However I see the negative impact that a poor diet at times has had on my body and I want to change that.

April is the month that the I Ho Chuan team has designated to be the diet tracking month.  I am looking forward to it with a bit of trepidation as it will be very clear how well or how badly I am eating.  I am also committing to be 100% accurate and truthful with this process as if I am not then I am defeating the purpose of this exercise.  I have found a really great app for my Iphone called “myfitnesspal”.  This app has a HUGE database of different foods and serving sizes.  It also has a UPC scanner that has found everything and anything with a UPC!  I would strongly recommend that you check this out and one of the best parts of this is that it is FREE!

I am going to use this tool with a renewed commitment to my diet and I want to use this time to put into place some good habits.

Mr. Repay

Student of Silent River Kung Fu.

Stony Plain, Alberta