Michael Pollan would be appalled that I listened to his book while driving down the road and eating fast food. In my defense, I was in the middle of moving to a new house and had neither the time nor the energy to cook. Pollan, of course, would argue that cooking is something that we must make time for and find the energy to do. Because it's important. It's vital. It's...tasty.
I do not disagree with him, and he makes interesting points about the ways that we've outsourced our food preparation to the detriment of our own health. But the real joys of this book are in his descriptions of the cooking he participates in. He apprentices himself to several chefs, dedicating a part of the book to cooking with a different primordial element: fire (roasting), water (braising and boiling), air (baking), and earth (fermentation). If you don't come away from this book thinking about crackling pig skin or fresh baked sourdough bread or vegetables sizzling in a frying pan, then you are a stronger (and possibly less hungry) person than me.
By Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan would be appalled that I listened to his book while driving down the road and eating fast food. In my defense, I was in the middle of moving to a new house and had neither the time nor the energy to cook. Pollan, of course, would argue that cooking is something that we must make time for and find the energy to do. Because it's important. It's vital. It's...tasty.
I do not disagree with him, and he makes interesting points about the ways that we've outsourced our food preparation to the detriment of our own health. But the real joys of this book are in his descriptions of the cooking he participates in. He apprentices himself to several chefs, dedicating a part of the book to cooking with a different primordial element: fire (roasting), water (braising and boiling), air (baking), and earth (fermentation). If you don't come away from this book thinking about crackling pig skin or fresh baked sourdough bread or vegetables sizzling in a frying pan, then you are a stronger (and possibly less hungry) person than me.
Review by Danny