Comments on: Did Michael Pollan Stick His Foot In His Mouth? http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:44:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on Did Michael Pollan Stick His Foot In His Mouth? by: Lindsey http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-143244 Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:25:27 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-143244 Thank you, thank you for this! I am a novice twenty-something home cook, and also an individual greatly interested in food politics. I so believe that more and more people ARE cooking at home (not the majority, I agree), and that there is great hope for the responsible food movement to inspire more local shopping and home cooking. I started my own food blog about home cooking just recently because I agree with you: it's not hopeless! In fact, I am finding there are so many people who really WANT to cook healthy and prepare food at home, but (even as middle-aged adults) aren't sure where to begin. I'm hoping to provide resources like food blogs and recipe sites, because I've found these incredibly inspiring in my own endeavors. Your post reminded me of my own recent blog-rant about this evangelical food movement sweeping up Ellen & Oprah's followers alike: http://theadventuresofculinarylin.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/vegetable-myths/ . Again, thank you for this empowering "essay". I'm doing a grad school project on the decline of home cooking (which is how I came across your posting) and am hoping to spread the message that home cooking can be do-able and accessible. I hope you don't mind if I include a link to your blog from mine? I think it's fantastic, and look forward to reading more! truly, Lindsey http://theadventuresofculinarylin.wordpress.com/ Thank you, thank you for this! I am a novice twenty-something home cook, and also an individual greatly interested in food politics.

I so believe that more and more people ARE cooking at home (not the majority, I agree), and that there is great hope for the responsible food movement to inspire more local shopping and home cooking. I started my own food blog about home cooking just recently because I agree with you: it’s not hopeless! In fact, I am finding there are so many people who really WANT to cook healthy and prepare food at home, but (even as middle-aged adults) aren’t sure where to begin. I’m hoping to provide resources like food blogs and recipe sites, because I’ve found these incredibly inspiring in my own endeavors.

Your post reminded me of my own recent blog-rant about this evangelical food movement sweeping up Ellen & Oprah’s followers alike: http://theadventuresofculinarylin.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/vegetable-myths/ .

Again, thank you for this empowering “essay”. I’m doing a grad school project on the decline of home cooking (which is how I came across your posting) and am hoping to spread the message that home cooking can be do-able and accessible.

I hope you don’t mind if I include a link to your blog from mine? I think it’s fantastic, and look forward to reading more!

truly,
Lindsey

http://theadventuresofculinarylin.wordpress.com/

]]> Comment on Did Michael Pollan Stick His Foot In His Mouth? by: Blue http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-135966 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 08:05:54 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-135966 While I do agree with you, Barbara, that a lot of the real, down and dirty (if you'll pardon the expression) aspect of cooking has been lost from the main stream with shows like 30 minute meals and all of the convenience oriented programming, even Food Network has a few hangers on to the tune of Julia Child and the Two Fat Ladies. Good Eats with Alton Brown is what got me cooking again in college, after spending most of my teen years eating out of boxes and fast food. We would watch an episode of GE, break up the ingredient list for each dish, and go try to make it. Cooking together is one reason we had people over almost every day, eagerly waiting for the latest experiment to roll out of the kitchen. The mass marketing of cooking is something to look out for, but I don't think that the joy of cooking is being lost by any means. While I do agree with you, Barbara, that a lot of the real, down and dirty (if you’ll pardon the expression) aspect of cooking has been lost from the main stream with shows like 30 minute meals and all of the convenience oriented programming, even Food Network has a few hangers on to the tune of Julia Child and the Two Fat Ladies. Good Eats with Alton Brown is what got me cooking again in college, after spending most of my teen years eating out of boxes and fast food.

We would watch an episode of GE, break up the ingredient list for each dish, and go try to make it. Cooking together is one reason we had people over almost every day, eagerly waiting for the latest experiment to roll out of the kitchen. The mass marketing of cooking is something to look out for, but I don’t think that the joy of cooking is being lost by any means.

]]> Comment on Did Michael Pollan Stick His Foot In His Mouth? by: blinkandmiss http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-120229 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:56:34 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-120229 Barbara, You make some very well supported points here. My 2 cents - The way I see is that these days cooking has been democratized so much! If I show a casual interest in cooking a dish and google it up, there are a variety of recipes that come up including videos and stuff. There are so many versions of the same dish from restaurant style to home or healthy style of cooking. In earlier generations, people with the recipe yielded much power in the house & social circles. You had to be lucky to have a mom/grandmom hand you down some solid recipes. I have learnt so much about other cultures & cooking - like baking my own pizza, breads and cooking pasta, that would've been impossible earlier. Barbara,

You make some very well supported points here.

My 2 cents -

The way I see is that these days cooking has been democratized so much! If I show a casual interest in cooking a dish and google it up, there are a variety of recipes that come up including videos and stuff. There are so many versions of the same dish from restaurant style to home or healthy style of cooking.

In earlier generations, people with the recipe yielded much power in the house & social circles. You had to be lucky to have a mom/grandmom hand you down some solid recipes.

I have learnt so much about other cultures & cooking - like baking my own pizza, breads and cooking pasta, that would’ve been impossible earlier.

]]> Comment on Did Michael Pollan Stick His Foot In His Mouth? by: Diane http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-120210 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:21:05 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-120210 Jan: I'm similar to you (a food from scratch gal), and I highly recommend tackling Thai curry pastes. Not only do they taste awesome - it's totally fun and stress-relieving to pound away at them in a mortar & pestle. Now, that said, I save the serious paste-making for weekends or times when I have some time to devote to it! Yes, I was disappointed in the MP article. Very much so at the time of reading it, but now have calmed down as I know the reality to be so much otherwise than he paints it. One dyspeptic article doesn't change all the good stuff happening out there. Jan: I’m similar to you (a food from scratch gal), and I highly recommend tackling Thai curry pastes. Not only do they taste awesome - it’s totally fun and stress-relieving to pound away at them in a mortar & pestle. Now, that said, I save the serious paste-making for weekends or times when I have some time to devote to it!

Yes, I was disappointed in the MP article. Very much so at the time of reading it, but now have calmed down as I know the reality to be so much otherwise than he paints it. One dyspeptic article doesn’t change all the good stuff happening out there.

]]> Comment on Did Michael Pollan Stick His Foot In His Mouth? by: Grace http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-120204 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:53:18 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/08/03/did-michael-pollan-stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth/#comment-120204 Although my husband and I eat out fairly often, I also cook at home from scratch (using local ingredients as much as possible)pretty often. I also use the internet quite a lot for recipe ideas (there are thousands of "how-to" videos out there). Just last night, I had my 2 year old grandson up on the counter while I prepared our dinner. He tasted a sugar-snap pea (he dislikes green veggies, as many two year olds do - but at least he tasted it), and watched me prepare a beautiful chicken dish. He watched intently as I chopped fresh herbs from my garden, and he even could name most of them. I have fun showing him techniques and fresh ingredients, and he takes it all in. Hopefully, he will grow into a more than "meat and potatoes" guy! Although my husband and I eat out fairly often, I also cook at home from scratch (using local ingredients as much as possible)pretty often. I also use the internet quite a lot for recipe ideas (there are thousands of “how-to” videos out there). Just last night, I had my 2 year old grandson up on the counter while I prepared our dinner. He tasted a sugar-snap pea (he dislikes green veggies, as many two year olds do - but at least he tasted it), and watched me prepare a beautiful chicken dish. He watched intently as I chopped fresh herbs from my garden, and he even could name most of them. I have fun showing him techniques and fresh ingredients, and he takes it all in. Hopefully, he will grow into a more than “meat and potatoes” guy!

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