References in the book to McDonald's earned her threatening letters from the fast-food giant, which caused many bookshops to return her book, she says. The Slow Food Movement has just launched a program designed to make children aware that there is more to eating than hamburgers and French fries. The project's goal is to draw attention to fruits like the Gravenstein apple and vegetables like ramps and the Southern field pea. The Gravenstein is one of the earliest-ripening apples. Sweet but tart, it is shunned by most commercial growers because it bruises easily and is difficult to ship, according to Barbara Bowman, who has written about disappearing American food for the movement's magazine, Slow .
Ramps are a type of wild onion that grows in mountain areas of the South.
Field peas, or cowpeas, once were grown in many varieties and flavors, but today the only commonly available variety is the black-eyed pea, which Bowman describes as bland in comparison with the other types. Slow magazine carries articles about such produce. Recent issues have also featured gaucho cooking of South America, a bread called eftazymo, and vacherin cheese from Switzerland. Besides offering connections to Internet pages dedicated to regional cuisines, it provides links to the corporate websites for Coca-Cola, Campbell, and Burger King. Paul Bush, a journalist for 16 years, has published articles in the 'Boston Globe,' 'Vermont Life,' and elsewhere.