I ran across this video of Alice Waters at the market on the New York Times web site. She certainly is enthusiastic but I wish I could ask her what she means by “pure” food. As much as I love markets, I am always a little skeptical about the origins of the food on offer. I guess it depends on the market but rarely are the farmers present and often the food on sale is from a central wholesale market. After having spent several years working in markets in Europe, I am less romantic than most. It is interesting to see the revival of farmers’ markets in North America. I think it is good and the selection process of the vendors is often rigorous. I just hope this is not a fad and that markets remain an integral and accessible element in the North American foodscape.