Between the Dems and the 'pubs comes another flag-waving, impassioned-speech convention, Slow Food Nation, the biennial gathering of followers of the Slow Food movement, this weekend hosted in perhaps the slow-food center of the United States, San Francisco. Who's on hand? What are they saying?

"Slow Food is the opposite of Fast Food. Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. ... But Slow Food is more than that…" ~ read Slow Food & Me from Bill Burge, St. Louis, from StlBites.com

"If you’re anywhere near San Francisco, and unless you drive with a paper bag over your head, you know that Slow Food Nation is upon us. The persimmon-colored signs are draped over every light pole and bus stop on the safe side of Market Street, and the chatter in food circles is centered around who is going to which events. I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. Contrary to what some might think, I don't have a stack of invitations to rub shoulders with all the right people at special insider events. I'm just like anyone else, checking out the Slow Food site and pondering whether or not to participate. Here's a peek into what’s been rattling about in my brain. " ~ read Leisurely Thoughts About Slow Food Nation by JenniferJeffrey

"We all love the idea of the Slow Food movement and what it stands for, namely supporting sustainable, artisanal food. All serious eaters are down with that notion. But merely believing in Slow Food as a cause is in and of itself not enough. I have always found the Slow Food movement here in the U.S. to be more about nonspecific soaring rhetoric and less about specific actions we can all take that actually further the cause of slow food in America. Eating delicious, sustainable, artisanal foods and calling attention to those foods is laudable, but it is not enough. " ~ read Open Ltter to Alice Waters & the Good Folks at Slow Food Nation from Ed Levine of Serious Eats

"How do you enjoy Slow Food? There isn't one sanctioned way. What began as a protest against fast food has become the symbol of a new consciousness about food. While the organization is somewhat controversial, the goals are admirable--to promote a return to the way people used to eat. What that looks like these days is up for debate." ~ read Slow Food Nation Report Day 1 by Amy Sherman Cooking with Amy

"I felt compelled to write about the latest eating craze ready to sweep the land. Now, you all have heard about the Atkins Diet, right? And the South Beach Diet, macrobiotics, veganism, vegetarianism, even the Master Cleanse Lemonade Diet, right? Well, I am here to tell you all to forget about them--they aren't worth anything anyway--and to adopt my own new habit of Eating Lower on the Food Chain. ... The closer you can get to your food with the least amount of processing is the best of all worlds. For me, about the most processing I want for my food comes in the form of fresh churned butter (Yum!) or a lightly grilled piece of meat over apple wood charcoal or a fresh vegetable salad with some garlicky olive oil. With the huge craze right now in value added food products like beverages--8 gazillion and counting--or the latest salsa or jam, the fact is that there is very little that's healthy about any of them." ~ read Eat Lower on the Food Chain from Organic Schmorganic

"All over San Francisco restaurants are receiving quadruple orders of produce, meat, dairy and dry good supplies in preparation for an influx of 60,000 International food-interested folks, over the course of the next 3 days. And then there are the people who have no idea it's happening. Slow Food? What's that?" ~ read Slow Food Nation Mayhem by Shuna Fish Lyndon from Eggbeater

"Slow Food Nation is in full swing, and I, for one am loving it. The garden is absolutely gorgeous, the design and set up of the Civic Center venue is genius, and the food and merchandise at the Marketplace and Slow on the Go are better than I'd dared hope. All of these are accessible to the public, and today, the public turned out. At lunchtime, some stalls had long lines, but it never became unmanageable - nobody ran out of food, and the venue handled the crowds well. All waste is compostable, water is being offered free of charge, people are reading poetry and speaking out on food politics at the Soapbox, and to answer the question I asked earlier - yes, the event does feel like a cohesive happening." ~ read Slow Food Nation Day One from Alice Q Foodie

Who else is attending?

The Whole Wheat ~ Introduction to Slow Food Nation

In Praise of Sardines ~ Slow Food Nation

Is one of your favorite bloggers attending Slow Food Nation? Leave a link, leave an impression, leave a thought. Sloooowly now, please.

BlogHer food editor Alanna Kellogg is fascinated by foods cooked sloooowly -- literally -- especially Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Slow-Baked Potatoes.