So, with all this time on my hands lately, laundry is done, the kitchen is clean, and books are getting read! I've finished two books in the last week and they were pretty good reads.
The Omnivore's Dilemma
by Michael Pollan
This is one that I've been trying to muddle my way through for over a year. I couldn't figure out why it was difficult to read, but I came to the conclusion that it was sort of like reading a textbook. Needless to say, I finally had some time to get into it and it turned out to be a good book. I'm not one for too much fiction, so this was an informational book about a man's quest to follow the path of food products. Namely, the burger he ate at McDonald's; the presence of corn in the majority of the American diet; a meal as hunters and gathers would have once prepared. When my wonderful friends, Amanda, Gina, and Christy, asked what I was reading on our most recent girls' weekend and I told them I was reading about the reproduction of corn, they somehow thought this was amusing. This book had some interesting information on the boom of organics and how they really compare to conventionally grown produce and meat. In addition, it also addressed the slow food movement, which I didn't know much about, and eating locally versus organically. I have to say that I walked away from the book with more alligence to local growers than organics. Being "certified" organic is an arduous process and one that small growers can's feasibly achieve. If you're looking to be more ecologically friendly in your food choices, does it make sense to buy organic that's from Mexico, or a local grower that didn't use any pesticides? I'd go local. Sometimes, I think you're paying for the label organic, when in all truth, organic is the way things used be... why is it so much more expensive now?
The other book I finished was a quick read...
Julie and Julia
by Julie Powell
This name may ring a bell, the movie is coming out in theaters on Thursday. This book chronicled a 30 year old New Yorker's culinary journey through Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1. The author decided to document her journey through a blog and eventually hit it big with a book deal. She is very brash in her retelling of the events surrounding her cooking and life experiences, and was quite funny. We'll see how the movie measures up. But, the book was a good one. Thanks to my mom for passing along a "happy" read. :)
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I enjoyed The Ominovore's Dilemma. Boy was it LONG though. I read it after Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I was out of energy to read another food book again! Even though I feel like I know a good amount of information on this stuff, I learned a ton. I always like to know "why" people eat the way they do (organic, vegetarian, vegan, mostly fast food, etc.)
Apparently we are all corn though...What if you had a corn allergy?! Quite a challenge.
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