Cooked by Michael Pollan
"Earth"
On an academic level I've always been aware that we share our world with trillions of microscopic creepy-crawlies, but it's another matter entirely to hear exactly how such organisms affect my life on a daily basis. I had no idea that fermented foods had such a culture heritage to them; besides for grain alcohol I'm not sure that I ever thought of fermentation as a universal cultural norm, as Pollan does. I don't enjoy sauerkraut or pickled things however; and I am skeptical of this whole pro-microbial counter-culture that has developed around it. Overall we live in a culture that, as far as lethal diseases are concerned, is healthier than any other in history. And we have done this by learning how to fight bacteria. Until the scientific consensus shifts towards the opposite end of the spectrum, I'm afraid that I'm going to keep fighting bacteria with just as much bitterness and venom as always. Did anyone besides me enjoy the story about the cheese nun though? Pollan manages to find some incredibly unique individuals in his travels. Do you believe that microbes can make the difference for our culture health-wise? Or is this just more of Pollan's sensationalized wishful-thinking.
Monday, October 28, 2013
This weekend I had the misfortune of dining at the Ruby Tuesday's in Shelby, right next to the Cleveland County Mall. Now Ruby Tuesday's has always been one of those restaurants that I look to as being the domain of the upper-middle class and, on occasion, as a treat for the rest of us. I think of Ruby Tuesday's as having superior food to the hum-drum fairly mundane fare I consume on a daily basis. But what I was served Saturday night certainly didn't satisfy this humble peasant... For the price of $25.00 I was served an absurdly bland and disgusting appetizer, consisting of dry chicken strips, weird spring rolls, disturbingly tangy wings and some fantastic mozzarella sticks (it's hard to screw up mozzarella sticks). Then, for my main course I ordered a crab cake, expecting something akin to what I once had in Baltimore, if only distantly related. To my chagrin however, I found that the meal I was presented with consisted of a rather moldy-looking crab cake that had an aftertaste that my companion and I both agreed tasted something like diesel fuel. The moral of this story is: Don't go to Ruby Tuesday's in Shelby. Ever.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Air
by Michael Pollan
Pollan has this remarkably unique way of making even incredibly boring subjects only a little more interesting. The fermentation of bread was a huge focus of this section. I can't say that this was a light pleasure read, but it was interesting to learn more about the science behind this natural process. Despite being a little tedious at times, (interesting bits about the baking surfer-dude notwithstanding) I do appreciate that Pollan went through the effort of so thoroughly explaining and exploring the process. I was especially intrigued that, as of yet, scientists still don't really know how certain microbes and bacterium that contribute to sourdough get there in the first place. Everyone loves a mystery! In typical Pollan fashion he laid out a scientific and historical biography of bread while systematically issuing a rebuttal of the food processing industry and focusing on a type of "purer" foodstuff. The foodstuff in question in this section was a freshly baked loaf of bread, his descriptions of which left me craving some of that fantastic bread that they give you at Outback... Do you agree as Pollan does that wheat is still more important than corn? To me it seemed that Pollan contradicted himself there. Regardless of the language he used in past sections, it appears that, to Pollan, whatever he's talking about at the time is the "most important food in the history of ever."
by Michael Pollan
Pollan has this remarkably unique way of making even incredibly boring subjects only a little more interesting. The fermentation of bread was a huge focus of this section. I can't say that this was a light pleasure read, but it was interesting to learn more about the science behind this natural process. Despite being a little tedious at times, (interesting bits about the baking surfer-dude notwithstanding) I do appreciate that Pollan went through the effort of so thoroughly explaining and exploring the process. I was especially intrigued that, as of yet, scientists still don't really know how certain microbes and bacterium that contribute to sourdough get there in the first place. Everyone loves a mystery! In typical Pollan fashion he laid out a scientific and historical biography of bread while systematically issuing a rebuttal of the food processing industry and focusing on a type of "purer" foodstuff. The foodstuff in question in this section was a freshly baked loaf of bread, his descriptions of which left me craving some of that fantastic bread that they give you at Outback... Do you agree as Pollan does that wheat is still more important than corn? To me it seemed that Pollan contradicted himself there. Regardless of the language he used in past sections, it appears that, to Pollan, whatever he's talking about at the time is the "most important food in the history of ever."
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Well Ethiopian was...interesting.
I think the spongey bread is what did the meal in for me. I couldn't stand the taste and texture of that odd, bitter, sour fermented mess. Considering that the entire meal basically consisted of items that you were expected to wrap up in that nasty bread, I didn't really catch a break the entire night. But it was indeed fun! The lamb was very good and the spicy ground beef was delicious. Didn't care much for the yellow lentil sauce or the avocado salad, but the rest wasn't bad! All in all it was a fun night and I did enjoy the opportunity to bond with my fellow HSA students over our mutual experiencing of this unique culinary event.
I think the spongey bread is what did the meal in for me. I couldn't stand the taste and texture of that odd, bitter, sour fermented mess. Considering that the entire meal basically consisted of items that you were expected to wrap up in that nasty bread, I didn't really catch a break the entire night. But it was indeed fun! The lamb was very good and the spicy ground beef was delicious. Didn't care much for the yellow lentil sauce or the avocado salad, but the rest wasn't bad! All in all it was a fun night and I did enjoy the opportunity to bond with my fellow HSA students over our mutual experiencing of this unique culinary event.
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