In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

By Michael Pollan – Penguin Group

By Catherine Metzgar

Question: What should humans eat to be healthy?
Answer: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

These three seemingly simple rules for how humans should eat are offered by Michael Pollan in his book In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. But the three guidelines are more complicated and confusing than they appear.

Pollan examines the influences on the American diet and the ever constant obsession with health in today’s society. So what exactly drives the American diet? In a word, our culture, which according to Pollan is just a fancy word for Mom.

She used to tell children what and how much to eat. Now, scientists and the food industry have replaced moms. They have their own perplexing claims of which foods are best and which nutrients should be consumed.

Americans are obsessed with their food choices and resultant health effects. Ironically, we suffer from the most diet-related health problems when compared to other nations.

Low-fat. No-cholesterol. High-fiber. High in antioxidants. Claims such as these, supposedly based on science, flood the supermarket in order to promote products that allegedly benefit our health.

Pollan argues the need for a paradigm shift as multiple research studies present contradictory evidence.

One contradictory study includes the association between trans fat and heart disease. During the low-fat craze, the consumption of trans fat was strongly encouraged. Further examination showed a high intake of trans fat can actually contribute to an increased risk of heart disease. Confusing? Yes.

Also mystifying to Pollan is the concept of the nutrient. Most times nutrients are studied individually, when in reality single nutrients are not consumed alone. Instead of eating nutrients, humans eat foods. Studying nutrients, rather than food leaves humans with unanswered questions of the actual effects of food on health, he writes.

Strongly convincing is Pollan’s argument that humans should start thinking about food as less of a thing and as more of a relationship. Pollan advocates that in order to develop a relationship, it may be important to follow the traditional ways of food consumption (think your great-grandma) rather than following the latest fad diet or health craze.

Health related to food is not necessarily the survival of the fittest. Our bodies will not eventually adapt to the negative effects of continuous fast food consumption on our health. Instead of trying to solve the diet problem, Americans turn to healthcare – another hot topic in today’s society.

While negative aspects of food, nutrients, science and the food industry are a strong component of the book, Pollan offers advice on how to follow the three simple guidelines he expresses in defense of food.

Pollan provides his definition of food and uses humor and wit to provide guidance on food selection. Pollan advises avoiding products with unfamiliar and unpronounceable ingredients, products with more than five ingredients, and products that include high fructose corn syrup. Basically, avoid anything that would confuse your great- grandma.

Other food advice from Pollan includes avoiding products with health claims and getting out of the supermarket whenever possible. A health claim serves as a red flag because a product must be packaged to make a health claim, and a packaged food is more likely to be processed. Health claims are often based on incomplete evidence as well. Getting out of the supermarket means shopping at farmers’ markets where processed foods and artificial ingredients are hard to find.

Eat mostly plants. It’s unclear why plants are beneficial, but research does show they are good for health, Pollan writes. Meat appears to be unnecessary as every nutrient in meat can be obtained through plant foods except for B12 which is only needed in small amounts.

In his not-too-much rule, Pollan describes exactly how one should eat. He urges to pay for quality rather than quantity for the best health. The importance of meals and internal cues are also stressed.

One controversial topic presented in the book is the avoidance of high fructose corn syrup. This issue raises some questions as it is the center of current research examining whether there are actually negative health effects. Telling people to eat only plants has upset those in the beef industry as well. The book has also raised issues concerning research funding and sponsorship from companies looking to make health claims.

Although food is often viewed as a downfall to our nation’s health and well-being, Pollan offers three basic rules in defense of food. With strong arguments and guidance for each of these rules, Pollan has clearly done his research to support his opinions in defense of food and how humans should eat to obtain optimal health.

Pig Perfect: Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them
By Peter Kaminsky
Hyperion 2005

By Laura Parente

“I pursue pork like a detective on the trail of an artful thief,” powerful words written by a serious devotee of pork and lover of ham, describing the passion in which author Peter Kaminsky embarks on “a yearlong pork pilgrimage.”

In pursuit of Pig Perfect, Kaminsky travels abroad, tasting pork from French and Spanish farmers, comparing flavors and textures with American hams.

What begins as a simple quest to eat great pork transforms into an educational experience, interspersed with pork recipes for the reader to indulge in along the way.

Country Ham Braised in Cider and Molasses, Pork Tenderloin with Aracena Whiskey Sauce, and Suckling Pig Braised in Sherry, White Wine, Aromatic Spices, and Herbs, evoke the senses, tempting the reader to head to the kitchen.

The recipes give the reader a chance to breathe, and allow Kaminsky an easy transition from one experience to the next.

There is a lot going on in this book with many characters to keep track of, as one pork connoisseur leads him to another.

Kaminsky traces historical accounts about pigs, theories related to Jewish and Muslim cultural “taboos” surrounding pork, and an investigation of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or “factory farms” in America.

He shows off his cultural diversity, throwing in words such as “dehesa,” “tierra,” and “matanza”. Kaminsky’s respect for these cultures is as genuine as the Spaniard’s respect for the pigs that provide them food.

Infatuated with a breed of pig in Europe, known as ibérico, Kaminsky marvels, “When taste is so full, so nuanced, so layered, it can best be compared to a symphony, it’s aftertastes like a final grand chord, a ghost harmony, slowly dying into the hush of the audience.”

His use of vivid language and artfully composed phrases is remarkable. “A great ham is artisanal as opposed to industrial. It bears a personal style, just like vintage wine or farmstead cheese.” Kaminsky developed this mentality over the course of his travels.

Suggesting that healthy exercise and dietary habits of the pigs are the primary agents contributing to a great pork flavor after slaughter, his disdain for the industrialization of American hams via “factory farming” is apparent.

Returning home, Kaminsky is unable to find ham as good as the ibérico ham. He becomes an entrepreneur in the pork business, surprising even himself.

With the help of experienced pig farmers, Kaminsky sets up a farm in North Carolina using Ossabaw Island pigs, the closest pig to the ibérico found in America.

“We have a dream for our pigs. They are going to live outside, eat hickory nuts and acorns, and graze alfalfa and peanut hay, later summer greens. They will, I hope taste better than any other pork in America,” he wrote.

An inspiring storyteller, Kaminsky is unsure if this trend will catch on, but hopes to see the return of “traditional” farming in America.

Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine
By Marion Nestle
University of California Press 2008.

By Kate Barkman

Pet Food Politics chronologically details the pet food recall of 2007. Although the dying pets affected in this recall were documented across the U.S., the root of the problem occurred globally.

The book slyly takes the reader from the pet food recall into global issues of trade, sanitation, and ingredient labeling from pet food to human food. The transition of topics is smooth and well researched.

Politics may detract some readers, but the title is truly deceiving. Nestle unfolds the events of the March 2007 pet food recall while discussing the politics of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For example, the FDA lacks the authority to demand a food recall. A company is only asked by the FDA to voluntarily recall food. This is the extent of FDA’s power. This deficient authority caused countless pet deaths. Why? The FDA knew pet food was contaminated and could not speak out.

Nestle did an outstanding job on resources. Because the incident occurred in many private companies information and interviews were hard to come by. Nestle dug deep and found much research about the contaminated compound as well as people willing to speak off the record.

The writing technique used in this book is clear and concise. Nestle does not waste time painting an elaborate picture. Instead, the facts awe and shock. Nestle mentions that pet owners consider their animals as children and this fact alone causes this book to be upsetting. People will be outraged knowing that the FDA, no matter how helplessly shackled by current laws, knew contaminated food was being sold.

Nestle’s most accrediting feature is her research in human nutrition and previous works. She has her doctorate in molecular biology and her master’s in public health. Along with her education she has worked in public policy and clinical settings. This impressive resume meshes, bringing together a well-researched book.

Pet Food Politics is a compelling book bringing into light the pet food recall and the food safety of the nation in general. Because she offers significant research it is hard not to agree with Nestle’s thesis. Short and sweet, this book is a quick read that plays on emotions. If the reader closes the book, feels outraged and demands change, then Nestle has accomplished her goal.

Spice, The History of a Temptation
By Jack Turner
Alfred A. Knopf 2004

By Erin White

Jack Turner stated, “And so it remained until the sixteenth century, when at last the discoverers chipped away at the great edifices of medieval ignorance and fantasy, dragging the realms of spice and gold into the prosaic light of day, into the unromantic focus of the profiteer and venture capitalist,” to describe the rise and fall of a temptation of common household spices.

The desire and lust for great luxuries, known only to royalty and noblemen of many nations, shaped a business deemed somewhat less than glamorous in today’s society. Jack Turner depicts the dangerous and sexy side of the emergence of spices in the middle ages in his book, “Spice, The History of a Temptation.” Turner traces the obsession of spices as it altered historical trade, social status, the body, and the spirit of many nations.

Turner’s writing style and substantive facts, through extensive research, keep the reader enthralled in his story. The layout of the book also makes it easy to follow. Tuner’s eloquent quotes and somewhat gruesome reality of the history provide for an intriguing voyage through the middle ages.

Turner’s journey starts aboard Christopher Columbus’s ships, set sail to obtain elusive valuables. Gold, pearls, stones, and spices commenced arguably one of the most notable voyages known to man. The journey continues on to unveil the surfacing of a commercial enterprise, the spice trade. Turner depicts the journey in all its glory and danger. Tales of torture, ship wreckage, and the perils of spice trading embody the voyages of Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and many more world travelers.

“The only virtues were gluttony, leisure, and pleasure the only vices exertion and care,” describes the Medieval European fantasy of Cockayne, the food lovers Paradise. Cockayne was a fictional town, with streets paved with ginger and nutmeg and houses of gingerbread nailed with cloves. Turner elaborates on the medieval fixation of spices, such as the town of Cockayne, and the relationship between spices and social status. Pepper was viewed as the most important spice during the Middle Ages, available only to kings and obligatory of nobility, due to the fact that pepper was rare and hard to acquire.

Turner ventures from social status to the many uses of spices as they relate to the body. He exposes the medical, scientific, and sexual rationale. Prior to using spices to flavor food, the first known consumer of pepper was Rameses II, an Egyptian pharaoh. Upon his death peppercorns were inserted into his nose, as spices were often used “to preserve the holy body for all eternity.” The use of spice to preserve the dead led to the inspiration of using spices to preserve the living. Spices were used to cure the flu, chicken pox, and infertility.

“Electuaries”, as well as many others, were considered the spices of love. Spices were used as aphrodisiacs, as well as fragrances to attract men. “Spice, The History of a Temptation” shows the obsession of spice in its purest form of lust and desire.

Finally, Turner concludes his story with spices and the indulgence of the spirit and religion. “Outside the great festivals, the aromas of spices, incense, and perfumes permeated ancient religion as thoroughly as religion permeated life itself.” Spices were burned as sacrificial gifts to gods, and used extensively during worship ceremonies.

Turner’s presentation of historical changes touches on nearly every aspect of the human life, making it easy for readers to relate to his story. His ideas bestow upon readers all the glorious and perilous events that made spices what they are today.

Turner brilliantly depicts the transformation of nations and their views of trade, commerce, taste, social status, sex, medicine, and religion in a thrilling journey through the Middle Ages, and the impact of a simple temptation, a temptation for spice.

Fork It Over: The Intrepid Adventures of a Professional Eater
By Alan Richman
Harper Perennial 2005

By Dustin Nelson

In Fork It Over, author Alan Richman blatantly states in the first chapter that “Food is life. The rest is parsley.” This remark is soon understood as the twelve-time winner of the James Beard Foundation Award elaborates about what all is involved in being a professional food critic.

The book is a collection of over two bakers’ dozens worth of anecdotes that were written primarily for Gentleman’s Quarterly magazine, with a few from Food and Wine. After reading just one of his journeys, it becomes clear why these stories are labeled as the intrepid adventures of a professional eater.

His journeys range from hole-in-the wall dives in Los Angeles that serve some of the best burgers he has tasted, to the fancy upscale restaurants in the Hamptons of New York that have served him some of the more bland food he has tasted. With his detail-oriented style of writing you may wish you were or weren’t there, depending on what he tells is served.

Richman uses clever analogies to really express how he felt while eating different meals. It’s not too often one hears about the taste of lamb chops being on the same level as the Parthenon was to the Greeks. Even better is his analogy of barbeque. “Barbeque without wood is like French food without butter, inappropriate and insulting.” Richman has a strong opinion of food and he reveals it throughout his many dining experiences around the globe.

However, he does not just critique the food. Richman does such a great job of describing, in detail, the environment that you may feel like you are dining right there with him. For instance, he was in Vietnam during the war. He describes the wet, humid climate of that peninsula with such detail you would start to sweat and want to grab a Coca-Cola classic to cool down like he did. He does not just elaborate on the environment and the atmosphere. He is so sound in his descriptions he’ll describe the subtle facial expressions on people. Someone once looked at him as if he “translated the Dead Sea Scrolls.”

Chapters are not directly linked to each other. This particular book is unlike several books as the chapters are not related and do not build upon each other. The only thing that binds these anecdotes together is the subject of food.

For instance, one chapter talks about his eats at Monte Carlo and the next is about his dinner with Sharon Stone. The beauty of this is that one may start anywhere in the book and not be lost. Each story is around twenty pages so in that regard it makes for an easy read. However, you may want to have a food dictionary and Webster’s dictionary handy as his vernacular is sometimes ambiguous (especially when he talks of his week long trip to France).

This is not a bad thing, though.

Eating In America: A History
By Waverly Root and Richard de Rochemont
Ecco 1981

By Betsy Erickson

The land of plenty, now the land of TV dinners, the United States has not fully declared its independence from Great Britain. It still has much fighting to do- especially with regard to foods and cuisine.

Professional journalists and world travelers Waverly Root and Richard de Rochemont made the history of America’s food and cuisine come to life and took readers on a journey from the discovery of the New World to today in their book Eating in America: A History. Their analysis of historic foods and cuisines provides an understanding of the dilemma of America’s poor quality food and diets by the world’s standards while blaming the English and the beliefs of the Puritans.

It all started with the Indians; the Indians saved the unaccustomed lives of the early English settlers. Thanksgiving is a celebration of this unselfish act of the Indians, but the cooking of the unresponsive Americans remains the cooking inherited by the British despite all of the influences by other settlers- French, Spanish, etc. The French influenced a new cuisine and educated settlers. Processed and canned foods as well as preservation chemicals came about as the country expanded westward leading to poor quality of food and diet of Americans. As the centuries have turned, America finds itself undernourished with low quality standards for cuisine.

Root and Rochemont give thought-provoking reasoning behind our undernourished and poor quality state. For example, refined white flour made its way onto the scene when a new method to mill white flour was discovered. This method saved a couple of dollars, but it stripped the flour of its nutritional kernel and germ of the wheat while making it less prone to spoil. Changes like this haunt Americans as they consume their sandwiches on anything but nutritious white bread.

However correct Root and Rochemont may be about the decrease in nutrition and quality in the US, it is snooty to say that Anglo Saxon cuisines are poor quality and uneducated as most of the book suggests. They blamed the English for the alcohol consumption habits today as well as our sweet tooth, because apparently no other country eats more sweets than Britain- while the United States is a close second. If this is the so-called information age, we have enough information to know what we should and should not eat. Centuries ago, the English may have had an effect on our cuisine, but that is not the cause of the drinking habits or sweet tooth today.

The puritanical fear of the two of the most deadly sins- gluttony and sloth, Rochemont and Root claimed, are the culprits in corrupting Americans’ approach to eating as a necessary chore and thus explains the poor quality. The United States is one of the most obese countries in the world; there is obviously no puritanical root fear of gluttony. There is, perhaps an exaggeration or an incorrect conclusion for today and disrespect for the beliefs of our founding fathers found in this book.

With information overload, incorrect conclusions, and yet thought-provoking reasoning, this book includes some personal prejudices and snobby attitudes of the writers but also great insights to the under and over nourished state of this country. If these insights are taken to heart, it could lead to healthier lives tomorrow. Like the cliché “you don’t know where you are going unless you know where you have been.”