In August, we had the honor of hosting Kimi Werner at our annual EVOLVE Summit in Los Angeles, where she candidly discussed how we, as a society, have grown so egregiously disconnected from our food that it’s hard to comprehend. Kimi is a champion spearfisher and a world-class chef, two things that very few of us are, so her perspective on food is highly qualified. Without fanfare, she can hop in the ocean for 45 minutes mid-morning, return with an appropriate, thoughtful catch, and prepare a plate of perfectly seasoned, hand-caught fish tacos for lunch. I’ve been lucky enough to eat them. They were the best fish tacos I’ve ever eaten.
While speaking with her, it became apparent that I’m part of the 99 percent of humans in developed, urban cities who have no relationship with the nutrition that sustains us EVERY SINGLE DAY. As much as I’ve attempted to make intentional eating decisions, it’s all an afterthought. The vast majority of meals are largely a matter of convenience. Which comes at a price.
After EVOLVE, the conversation continued offline to the point that we decided to create a project that might help people reclaim their relationship with their food. To learn to take control. To approach food more thoughtfully and sustainably. Today, we’re proud to share the fruits of that collaboration: Kimi Werner’s Guide to Empowered Eating
“The things you’re going to learn in this course are what you should know before you harvest anything,” says Kimi. “Especially if you’re going to take a life. Why would you ever make it your goal to kill something if you don’t know what to do with it? The follow-through for me is the most important part.”
In this 13-chapter course, students will learn:
– Kimi’s philosophy and approach to sustainable food, nutrition, and consumption.
– Kimi’s lifelong journey to becoming more sustainable and self-sufficient.
– The optimal tools and ingredients to create great food.
– How to properly scale, gut, and clean a fish.
– How to cook a whole fish
– How to use all parts of a fish. If the world uses 99 percent of our catch, rather than 70 percent, that’s a meaningful shift.
– Tips on picking out fresh fish at the market.
– Three of Kimi’s favorite recipes:
– Steamed Whole Fish with Fresh Herbs
– Kimi’s Noodle Soup using “the throwaway parts of the fish”
– Pesto Stuffed Fish with Cranberries. This might be the best dish we’ve ever eaten.
Kimi also shares tips on how to waste nothing and make the absolute most of your harvest as well as inspiring personal insights from her journey as a world-class chef, sustainability advocate, and champion spearfisher.
“It’s crazy to me that as a society, we’ve become so detached from our most essential need,” says Kimi. If we really want to make a big difference on the footprint we’re leaving on this planet, examining how we eat is a good first step.”
Who is this course for? Kimi sums it up best.
“This isn’t a course just for aspiring spearfisher people or hunters,” says Kimi. “It’s for anybody who’s curious. Anybody who has absolutely any curiosity towards getting their hands a little dirty…It doesn’t matter where you come from. It’s for humans. If you’re human, then this course is for you.”
While filming this project, Werner was eight months pregnant with her first child. She recently gave birth to her beautiful baby boy, Buddy, and in entering motherhood, her approach to food has taken on new meaning.
“I’m about to be a mom, and I’m about to leave a legacy to another human being, and I’m realizing that every choice that I make and every meal that I cook within everything in this house and this backyard – that’s going to be the building blocks of the world that I’m bringing a child into.”
If you’ve ever been interested in transforming your relationship with your food, becoming more accountable for your nutrition, and preparing absolutely delicious fish, access to Kimi Werner’s Guide to Sustainable Cooking for 10% off with code INERTIA10 for a limited time. To sweeten the pot, OluKai has offered the first ten students to enroll a free pair OluKais. Get on it. It’ll be a delicious investment. Guaranteed.
