Our mission at Foodtree is to connect people with great food. With this in mind we’re highlighting individuals and organizations we think do a fantastic job of contributing, promoting, building, and transforming the food system. We call them Food Advocates. Would you like to participate? Fill out our interview here and we’ll follow up!
Today we chat with Lacy Boggs, food writer and editor living in Boulder, Colorado, who’s lauching Laughing Lemon Pie today so make sure you drop by to check it out!
Tell us about yourself:
My main roles these days are wife and mom, writer, and foodie! I live with my husband and daughter in Westminster, Colorado—smack dab in between the wonderful foodie cities of Denver and Boulder.
I’m a freelance writer and the food editor at the quirky, hyper-local publication, Yellow Scene Magazine (http://yellowscene.com). It’s a dream job where I get paid to eat at all the best restaurants in Boulder County and hang out with the coolest people on the foodie scene.
I’m also the editor of Colorado Babies magazine, a staff writer for OrganicAuthority.com, and author of my own website, Laughing Lemon Pie, where I write about all things food.
Tell us about your project/business:
My website, Laughing Lemon Pie is for the family foodie who wants to buy, cook, and dine on beautiful, healthy, delicious food—while living the reality of tight budgets, picky eaters, and weeknight soccer practices. I’ll be exploring the fabulous foodie world of Colorado’s Front Range, with recipes, tips, and resources for a everyone, no matter where you live.
I’m also cooking my way through my grandmother’s recipe collection from her 1950′s TV cooking show, “Today’s Kitchen.” It’s a blast updating these retro recipes and bringing them back to the dinner table.
Has your relationship with food evolved over time? How?
My mother taught me to cook at a young age. My sister and I were always encouraged to help in the kitchen, and taught a little bit about the whys and the hows of cooking as we went along. Both of my grandmothers were amazing cooks, and food has always been a big part of my life.
But as I moved into my job as a food writer, I started to look at food a little more critically. I also started to learn about some of the political and ethical implications surrounding our food systems. It’s made me much more conscious of what I put in my mouth, and a little more choosey when it comes to what I want to spend my money on—both at the grocery store and when choosing a restaurant.
What is your earliest memory about food?
Holidays are a big deal, food-wise, in my family—tons of food, huge spreads, enough to feed the fourth army. My grandmother would cook the turkey, the gravy, and her famous Georgia-style cornbread dressing, and my mom, my sister and I would make all the side dishes and desserts.
Every year my mother would bake dozens (and dozens!) of Christmas cookies and my sister and I would sit at the kitchen table decorate them while she rolled and cut and baked. Some years we even hung them on the tree instead of ornaments, with popcorn and cranberry garlands—and would almost inevitably come home one day to find them all eaten off by the dog! I can’t wait to start that tradition with my little girl.
What’s most important to you when it comes to buying food – local, organic, fair trade, GMO-free, etc?
I read a great quote from Mark Bittman recently, in which he said, “the biggest difference is not between a conventionally grown head of broccoli and organically locally grown head of broccoli, the biggest difference is between a head of broccoli and a cheeseburger.” That’s pretty much where I’m at right now, trying to make good choices for my body, my family, and the planet. We’re flexitarians at my house, eating “meat-lite.” Which isn’t to say I don’t enjoy a great cheeseburger once in a while—’cause I absolutely do!
What is the one thing you’d like to see change about the food system?
I would love to see congress actually rewrite the Farm Bill and do away with the huge subsidies for corn. I would instead allocate those funds to support family farmers growing fruits and vegetables and increase the funding for healthy food education.
What is special about food where you live? What’s one thing you would change?
Boulder has recently been named one of the “best foodie town in America” and Denver has gotten similar accolades. We have some of the best restaurants in the country, not to mention an incredible food community of local producers and artisans. Couple all that with the beautiful scenery and amazing weather and I’m pretty much in heaven!
What are your favorite ingredients to use when preparing a meal?
I always use good olive oil and butter, lots of garlic, good sea salt and fresh pepper. My pantry is full of grains, dry beans, nuts, whole wheat pasta and chocolate! And my fridge is always full of fresh produce. I always keep some New Mexico green chile in my freezer and a big block of Tillamook extra-sharp cheddar in the fridge for when nacho cravings hit. My baby girl would eat avocados every day if I let her, so we have to keep those on hand as well!
What are your favorite foods?
When I was pregnant, I craved cheese nachos with guacamole almost constantly, and that hasn’t seemed to abate, even almost a year later! I love all kinds of cheese, fresh bread, peaches, lemons, New Mexico green chile and pinyon coffee, sweet potatoes and French fries. And being a Texas girl at heart, I pine for good Tex-Mex.
Other than food, what are you particularly excited about right now?
I’m loving being a mom, to be honest. My daughter is the center of my world in the best possible way. She’s a complete joy to be around, and I adore watching her learn and grow and getting to experience things for the first time again through her. I’m currently deep in the “crazy mom” moments planning her first birthday party! It’s going to be a blast.
Tell us about a food-related project that has inspired you:
My 5-year-old nephew was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma leukemia in January, so we’ve all been plunged into the world of childhood cancer like a dunk in a bucked of ice water. I’m really excited by the group Cookies for Kids’ Cancer (http://www.cookiesforkidscancer.org) and I want to host a bake sale in the near future.
Where can people find you both online and offline?
Website: http://laughinglemonpie.com
Email: lacy@laughinglemonpie.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaughingLemonPie
Twitter: @lacylu42
Pinterest: lacylu42
Yellow Scene Magazine: http://yellowscene.com/author/lacyblu
Thanks for taking part in our Food Advocate series!
