I thought I’d take a moment to describe my weekend, a weekend that in one respect has come to resemble many others. I shopped, and while this may not excite many of you run-of-the-mill, Gristedes (ew!) shoppers, those, who like me, are members of the Park Slope Food Coop will understand what an all-encompassing experience food shopping is, especially when it follows doing one’s shift.
You see, to shop at the Coop, where the produce is mainly organic, often local and unbelievably fresh, one has to work one shift a month. My co-op duty is to stock shelves. In an entire shift, I will make, and promptly lose, friends, confidents, enemies, loves. In a 10-minute period, I’ll feel incredibly close to someone while hanging out in the freezer while organizing dairy. Usually one or both of us is making up a previously missed shift. We discuss learn about each others jobs, likes, dislikes, diet (perhaps above all else) in short order, and then, one of us is transferred out to meat. After a couple of months at the Coop, one’s diet inevitably becomes more idiosyncratic. I have already sworn of microwaves, high fructose corn syrup, and if things keep going at this rate, I might even renounce meat and dairy … or maybe not, their beef department is so excellent.
Some people say it’s a cult, but how can a cult of good food be wrong? Trust me, one bite of their reduced priced, high quality cheese, or a walk down their spice aisle (where no spice, not even vanilla or saffron, exceeds $2), you’ll be willing to pledge allegiance yourself.
-- Daisy Carrington
Photo: allysonmmurphy's photos on Flickr.