Everyone is talking about disaster

Post Apocalyptic Dining:

Thanksgiving eve, Sam and I went to see The Road, a story of a father and son as they travel the barren remains of the Northeast in a post apocalyptic world. There is no sunlight or clear sky the entire movie - the landscape is relentlessly grey and charred. Nothing grows. Anything edible remains from the previous civilization with the exception of human meat. It is grim and terrifying.

After being immersed in this terrain for 2 hours, we stopped into the supermarket next door to the theatre. It was like discovering new world - not only the vibrant colors of the food (reds, greens, orange, purple) but the selection was astounding. The deprivation in The Road had been so complete, the overabundance in our world was startling.

Thursday night we saw Book of Eli, another movie in the post-apocalyptic genre, where one is either prey or predator. Survival depends on this alone. Cannibalism, understandably, featured prominently in both stories. In The Road, Viggo Mortenson survives on the canned foods he discovers from time to time (even stumbling onto what is probably mankind's last can of Coke). Book of Eli, set in 2043, takes place 30 years after the 'event', and does not identify food sources (outside of birds, feral cats or human flesh). There is however, a secret clean water source, the key to power for a regional ruling bad guy....

Caterer/farmer/mother-home cook/science fiction devotee, I can't shut off my food filter. It is always only about eating. Strip away the trappings of the last few centuries, return to the pre-industrial hostile wilderness and it is about survival - and eating is key to human survival.

I googled Post-Apocalyptic Food and discovered a few things. For starters, Costco has a selection of very heavy-duty survival rations, some with a 20-year shelf life. Perhaps the post-9/11 world recognizes that disastrous outcomes are not science fiction. We have all been instructed to stock our homes with adequate water and canned goods for a week should there be a potential 'disruption', but how would an entire society feed itself in the event of global disaster.

Basic preparation will impact the probability of your family's survival in an emergency. Delicious and easy to prepare. Each bucket contains 275 servings of pre-mixed and pre-seasoned 100% vegetarian and vitamin fortified food. With a 20 year long shelf life, this kit is perfect for the preparation of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or even for a camping or hunting trip.

* Easy to Prepare

* Must have water and a heat source

* 275 Servings
* All Meals 100% Vegetarian and Vitamin Fortified
* Sealed in convenient Weather-Proof bucket for easy transport
* 25 Servings - Potato Soup
* 30 Servings - Corn Chowder
* 25 Servings - Cacciatore
* 25 Servings - Western Stew
* 30 Servings - Country Noodle
* 25 Servings - Rice Lentil
* 45 Servings - Whey Milk
* 40 Servings - Blueberry Pancake
* 30 Servings - Barley Vegetable
* Total Weight: 23 lbs.

The Date of Manufacturing is printed on each individual packet. The Expiration Date for all the food is printed on a sticker on the outside of the bucket.

For best taste and nutritional value, use product before:

20 years of manufacturing date when stored at 60° F (16.6° C)

10 years of manufacturing date when stored at 70° F (21.1° C)

Contemplating a world without food is not reserved for the realm of science fiction movie making or post-apocalyptic scenarios alone. Feeding the exploding human population, especially in third world countries, is a political 'hot potato. ' And tragedies that befall isolated communities - New Orleans and now Haiti - draw our attention to the fact that access to food is second only in importance to air or clean water. We are fortunate to think about what our next meal will be, but not whether it will be.

Contemplating a fictional post-cataclysm world, wondering about soil quality for growing, or the gruesome alternative of cannibalism, or even the absurdity of finding the world's last Coke, is first rate escapism that below the surface, hits very close to home. The remote future could unfold tomorrow and there is no better source of fiction then reality.

Of course we historically have had periods where folks thought the end was near. But this time around it is a little different. Sure some still think that 2012 will signal the end, or Jesus will come down from the clouds. Others think that Obama will create a situation where civil war/revolution will occur, or that the economy will completely fail. And some look to Peak Oil or climate change as the factors that will lead to the "end" as we know it (the end of the land of plenty, consumerism, agribusiness..

The best advice - teach yourself some skills - gardening, sewing, cooking, building, repair... Just in case all those movies may come true.