Furthermore: Where the Headlines Take You

Eating in '09

For me, December means reflecting on the year behind me and preparing for the year ahead. News has been a bit bleak of late. In particular, I'm thinking of an article I read in The Boston Globe about what a depression in 2009 might look like. One of the piece's more bittersweet observations is that folks like me (not rolling in dough and having a fair amount of free time) might save money by spending more hours in the kitchen rather than eating out. The Globe also predicts that more people might turn to urban gardening and animal husbandry, a trend I've definitely noticed both amongst my friends/peers and here at the library where books on raising chickens and composting are more popular than ever. The impact of the economy on our eating habits is also born out in the top two eating trends of 2009 as predicted by Epicurious.com. Eating well is one of life's greatest pleasures and these two new items got me thinking about books that have changed the way we eat. As well, these books might help prepare us for changes in how and what we eat.

Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals is quickly approaching the status of modern classic in the field of gastronomy. His work is well-informed, courageous and engaging. Omnivore's Dilemma examines the modern eating experience through several systemic prisms; industrial food, organic/alternative food and food we forage for ourselves. Through his descriptions of these food chains we learn how our eating habits are a product of our economy as much as our evolution and that what we eat is an expression of culture that merits a healthy dialog. For all his research Pollan's prose never comes across as pedantic. Instead, his writing is crystalline and inspiring in its insightfulness. Pollan's style of personal journalism is the perfect vehicle for a subject that affects us all and for which we all have an opportunity for personal expression.

Another author who is interested in issues of gastronomy and ecology is Taras Grescoe. Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood is Grescoe's indictment of the seafood industry in which he draws parallels between the over fished oceans of our world and our decisions as seafood consumers. Think of this book as the Fast Food Nation of the sea. At times stomach-churning, Bottomfeeder is a book that seeks to inspire positive change and a growth in awareness about where the seafood we eat comes from. It's clear that the author is up to the challenge of exploring his subject in depth (he even samples the pellets fed to farmed salmon) and though most of the text focuses on the perilous condition of our oceans and our current unhealthy relationship with sea life, the book does conclude with an appendix full of suggestions about how to eat seafood responsibly. [For more information consider the Marine Stewardship Council's website which maintains a list of sustainable seafood]

One of my long time favorites, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, maintains a special place on my book shelf. First published in 1984, Harold McGee's book is packed with scientific details of what gives food its foodie-ness. McGee includes plenty of historical context to compliment his discussion of chemistry and physics in the kitchen and his writing has a sense of curiosity to it that many will find appealing. For the more analytical cook, On Food and Cooking provides inspiration through explanation. Ever wonder why "mealy" and waxy" potatoes mash differently? Is there really any advantage to whipping egg whites in a copper bowl? Why and how does the application of heat (aka cooking) change the texture of meat? McGee's got answers and having that information means less waste, more creativity and better results in the kitchen.