Chef Paul: Reading about food…
May 26 2011
I love to read. Next to cooking, reading has to be my favourite pastime. 
I sometimes think that reading has almost become obsolete. It seems to me that in today’s age of the information super highway and the sound bite, many people read headlines or quickly scan articles or blogs without actually reading the entire thing…and then pass judgment without reflecting on what they’ve not read. In the age of social media, anyone can post their opinion on any subject without really giving that subject much thought.
I like to read slowly, to devour books and try to grasp the meaning and understand the point of view the author is trying to represent. I may not agree with what the author is saying but I feel it is necessary to try to see things from their perspective and then make up my own mind about it.
I tend to read mostly fiction. I like the idea of escaping into a great novel. Yet recently, I’ve found myself reading a lot more nonfiction, mostly to do with cooking and food. Not just cookbooks but books about where our food comes from and where we are heading as a society as it related to food and food production.
Some of my favourite reads lately are: Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemna” where the author examines what’s at stake when we make our food choices at the grocery store. How what we buy and eat affects our bodies and our planet. Another favourite is “Trauma Farm” by Brian Brett where he chronicles the history of his small organic farm and the perils he faces trying to remain true to his vision. “Animal Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver is an excellent read about her families goal of eating only home grown or at the very least local foods for an entire year. And of course there’s Eric Schlosser’s groundbreaking work “Fast Food Nation” which examines the reality of North America’s obsession with fast food.
While all these preach a similar theme, they all approach their subjects from differing angles. What these books all have in common is the goal to make people think about where their food comes from be it grocery store or local farmer’s market. It’s only by educating ourselves that we can make informed decisions…and what we eat has to be one of the most important decisions we can make.
So, if you’ve got the time and want to learn more about where your food comes from and where it’s going, I strongly suggest you read any of these four titles, they could profoundly affect the way you look at what you eat.
