the current state of cooking 3

Hello, as I write this I anxiously await the dressing being done so I can go to my Thanksgiving party. I wanted to take a moment to recognize something dear to all of us, whether we realize it or not-food. In school, in addition to being trained to understand food and why and how it does the things it does I was also fortunate enough to have chefs that had a grander worldview. It was instilled in me to understand the bigger dynamic of food and to protect it. It is our duty as chefs to be active in the concerns of our community and our environment. Our profession is directly affected by the quality of the soil and the water of the farms that provide us with our product. This transcends any ideas about politics, it's simply a fact that it is in our best interests to be stewards of the planet, our livelihood is based on the quality of the things that come from it. There is a slowly growing movement that started about 35-40 years ago to produce a higher quality of food with a higher quality of raw ingredients. No more frozen vegetables, no processed foods, livestock and poultry that had a diet it was intended to have. There is a direct correlation between the health of what we eat and our own health. Of course, when a baker uses local and organic wheat in his bread, the l0af will cost a little more, the same goes for a hamburger that uses local, grass-fed beef. However, if there were a more informed public which understood the value of this way of looking at food, more people would buy these products and therefore they would become more available and more affordable. The purchasing public has a great power to affect change. Try a loaf of bread from an artisan bakery, go to farmer's markets, go to berry farms and fishmonger's. You will be supporting an important part of your community and in the process you'll get something worthwhile to feed yourself. It doesn't have to be everyday, I understand the costs associated with buying all local, all organic all the time. Maybe once a week as a treat, you'll be surprised at the difference in freshness and quality. I would like to give you a recipe for my dressing.
onion-.5#, celery-.5#, carrot-.5#, acorn squash( roasted and peeled)-1#, bread (dried and cubed)-1.5#, Veg stock-1.5 quarts, salt-2T, pepper-2t, sage-2t, oregano-2t, rosemary-2t, parsley-3T ( use fresh herbs if possible), eggs-2, egg yolks-2, half and half-2cups( whisked together)
Saute the first three ingredients and add to the bread crumbs( a LARGE bowl will be needed) add the stock slowly while mixing. Add the cooked squash, herbs, S&P. Add the liaison( you know, the 1/2 & 1/2 and eggs). Place in 3 loaf pans, cover and bake at 325-350*f for one and a half hours( approx., with anything, check it every so often, turn it half way through) When it feels like cake it's done. Happy Thanksgiving, eat well, drink well and share your table with your friends.