It has been over a week since I returned to reality, and my head is still a crazy jumble of ideas, tastes, sounds, and new friends. I was unable to form a coherent sentence for at least two days. All of the people who had been hearing me chatter on and on were treated to a blissful smile and a bit of drool when they asked me how it went. I am an aggressively bad photographer, in fact, I don’t even own a functional camera. So, I was delighted to see that so many of the people attending Eat Retreat came prepared to document the experience beautifully. I have been forwarding their pictures and write-ups to my friends as evidence that my giant grin is justified.
The entire Eat Retreat experience hardly seems real. Did I really shuck oysters while watching a whole pig get prepared for the spit? Did I sit around a campfire making s’mores and listening to fantastic live music? Did I really eat all of that delicious food? Yes yes yes, and it was even more awesome than it sounds. Although impressive, it feels inadequate to describe my experience strictly in terms of what I consumed and what immensely talented person prepared it. I will spare you the list and direct you to some ridiculously good food photography. Cooking, eating, and drinking were certainly central and highly enjoyable aspects of the weekend, but as many of my eloquent new friends have stated, we were all charged with finding a reason for our gathering beyond the sheer pleasure of eating like an idiot.
My little journey officially began on Friday when I loaded 90 pounds of assorted seafood into my trunk, tried to scrub the fish smell off of my arms, left work, and headed north. I had been corresponding with the event organizers and some of the Saturday night meal team about sourcing the seafood for our weekend. Rough seas made this task a bit more stressful than anticipated, but one brave little fisherman pulled some Black Cod out of Bodega Bay that very morning and caused me to dance a joyful little jig right at my desk. I had my loot and I was on my way. The road to Anvil Ranch was one of those epic drives that makes me feel wise in my decision to live in Sonoma County (See also, any drive between Petaluma and the ocean). Anvil Ranch itself exceeded the expectations raised by such a beautiful drive.
From the minute I arrived, I felt completely at ease. I was greeted by big hugs from our lovely organizers and was offered help in every step of getting my raw bar up and running. I had the wonderful experience of getting to know thirty-two new friends by discussing the ocean goodies that I had laid out for tasting. It was thrilling to look around the courtyard and see ten different conversations happening, all of which I would surely find interesting. The exchange of ideas was continuous throughout the weekend. The scheduled classes happened organically and seemed to materialize just as I showed up to attend. One moment I was learning how to make yogurt, hummus, and jam and the next I was tasting and learning about beer. Every discussion felt inspired. Even the casual discussions felt like they were the seeds of a possible new venture.
The practical skills I gained have already been put to good use. My little pet yogurt mother and I are getting along quite well and there is jam making in my immediate future. Sometimes, as a seafood quality control manager, I feel like I am just doing the government’s bidding, adjusting the time tested processes that make good food to make federal regulators happy. For me, the purpose beyond gluttony was a sense that it is my duty to use my passion to effect a change in my local food community. Eat Retreat gifted me with the drive to look up from my Hazards Guide and use my connections to make a difference. I left on Sunday with a renewed sense of passion for my work and a clear idea for the direction that I would like my company to take.
We built a new network of colleagues, people who will inevitably collaborate and support each other in all of our new endeavors. The next step is focusing the creative energy of this community towards doing some tangible good. I can’t wait to see what we do.
