In his new book, "Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation," Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the power of the four classical elements—fire, water, air, and earth—to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. "Cooked" becomes an investigation of how cooking involves us in a web of social and ecological relationships: with plants and animals, the soil, farmers, our history and culture, and, of course, the people our cooking nourishes. Cooking, above all, connects us.
Michael Pollan says that the effects of not cooking are similarly far reaching. Relying upon corporations to process our food means we consume large quantities of fat, sugar, and salt; disrupt an essential link to the natural world; and weaken our relationships with family and friends. In fact, Pollan argues, taking back control of cooking may be the single most important step anyone can take to help make the American food system healthier and more sustainable. Michael Pollan, author of several previous best-selling books such as "The Omnivore’s Dilemma," joins Tom Williams for the hour on Monday’s Access Utah.
