For Michelle Erlewine, Sous Chef for Morrison Living, the culinary team that runs the kitchen at Roseville Commons, cooking for senior residents feels like cooking for family. “ I get to share my culinary skills with these people every day. Older people have strong memories of life before ultra-processed foods dominated the America table….. The Slow Food movement is an idea that resonates”
Michelle is a member of Slow Food Sacramento’s Cooks’ Alliance. The group is a loose organization that meets a few Mondays a year to talk shop, catch up, and a times, conspire to do some small things to bring the joys of good, clean and fair food into action in the community.
Michelle met the moment. She presented a plan to her supervisors at Roseville Commons to bring a dozen senior residents to Terra Madre Americas, and they were all in. Roseville Commons provided a shuttle and the group took to the road.
Before the group made it to Terra Madre Americas at The Sacramento Convention Center, Michelle had other plans, namely, a proper farm to table lunch hosted just one block away from the convention center at Brasserie du Monde. Proprietor and Matre d’ Aziz Bellarbi Salah, a long time industry friend and colleague of Michelle’s generously offered his private dining room for the project.
The private dining area at Brasserie du Monde
The Lunch Menu
After lunch the group made their way down the block, and toured Terra Madre Americas, on Its first day and its first year. At Terra Madre the group wasted little time. “ It was really adorable. They all scattered about to go taste things. We didn’t have time for any more photos.”
Michelle Earlewine was born in Hawaii but raised in Sacramento, California, which has, to her, become home in every sense of the word. She’s worked in a number of restaurants in Sacramento over the years, including Magpie, Brasserie du Monde, and Mulvaney’s B&L.
“Cooking isn’t just my job—it’s something I take pride in. Through hard work and hands-on experience, I’ve found purpose and creativity in feeding others, and I am currently the sous chef at an independent senior residence in Roseville.” Michelle is a Member of the Slow Food Sacramento Cooks’ Alliance.
