4 out of 5 stars |
In Cooked, Michael Pollan explores the previously
uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power
of the four classical elements—fire, water, air, and earth—to transform the
stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to
a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook
with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer.
The effects of not cooking are similarly far reaching. Relying upon
corporations to process our food means we consume large quantities of fat,
sugar, and salt; disrupt an essential link to the natural world; and weaken our
relationships with family and friends. In fact, Cooked argues, taking back control of cooking may
be the single most important step anyone can take to help make the American
food system healthier and more sustainable. Reclaiming cooking as an act of
enjoyment and self-reliance, learning to perform the magic of these everyday
transformations, opens the door to a more nourishing life.
I have to
say that I appreciate an author who tells me that I am being subversive or
rebellious if I cook. It’s one of the few
forms of rebelliousness to which I wholeheartedly subscribe. Having read Salt Sugar Fat by Michael
Moss last year, I been working diligently at eliminating processed foods from
my diet—easier said than done!
Especially when one is also attempting to go gluten-free.
I have many
happy memories of cooking on the farm where I grew up. We knew the cows that provided our milk, the
chickens that laid our eggs and the cattle and pigs that provided each evening’s
main course. Sometimes Mom would even
mention them by name as she served up supper.
I have been in quest of a real pork chop for some time now and think I
have found a butcher shop that provides a product very, very close to my
idealized memories. One of the things
which struck me when I moved to the city was the lack of taste in the meat and
vegetables purchased from the chain grocery stores. Carrots from a chain store are more like wood
than like vegetables and tomatoes are hard and tasteless compared to those we
grew in our garden (fertilized with well-aged, long composted animal
manure).
The problem,
for me at least, is one of time. I love
to cook and bake—but I also work full time and enjoy a busy social life. Having read Cooked, I can see that I
will start attempting to schedule more cooking time into my life—in the past, I
have whiled away many happy hours stirring soup pots, checking on oven contents
and poking at dough. It’s time to return
that gentle form of rebellion to my life on a regular basis.
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