Cooked

A Natural History of Transformation

By: Michael Pollan

Narrated by: Michael Pollan

Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Michael Pollan, the best-selling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, Food Rules, and How to Change Your Mind, explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen in Cooked.

Cooked is now a Netflix docuseries based on the book that focuses on the four kinds of "transformations" that occur in cooking. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney and starring Michael Pollan, Cooked teases out the links between science, culture and the flavors we love.

In Cooked, Pollan discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer.

Each section of Cooked tracks Pollan’s effort to master a single classic recipe using one of the four elements. A North Carolina barbecue pit master tutors him in the primal magic of fire; a Chez Panisse-trained cook schools him in the art of braising; a celebrated baker teaches him how air transforms grain and water into a fragrant loaf of bread; and finally, several mad-genius “fermentos” (a tribe that includes brewers, cheese makers, and all kinds of picklers) reveal how fungi and bacteria can perform the most amazing alchemies of all. The listener learns alongside Pollan, but the lessons move beyond the practical to become an investigation of how cooking involves us in a web of social and ecological relationships. Cooking, above all, connects us.

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, Cooked 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. Reclaiming cooking as an act of enjoyment and self-reliance, learning to perform the magic of these everyday transformations, opens the door to a more nourishing life.

©2013 Michael Pollan (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Pollan narrates his book in a conversational style filled with conviction and eagerness that drive the listener to join his evolutionary quest." (AudioFile)

Unbelievably, almost as good as his last.

Where does Cooked rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Second best.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The surfing bread-maker.

What about Michael Pollan’s performance did you like?

He's simultaneously highly intelligent, but homely and casual.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cried a couple of times.

Any additional comments?

Unbelievably, this book is almost as good as The Omnivore's Dilemma. It's not as consistently good, but it reaches similar heights on many occasions. The chapter about bread is divine.

Inspiring

I love this book. It made me think differently about the way I cook and eat. It adds a level of profundity to the everyday activities in the kitchen. I loved cooking before, but failed to appreciate the noble traditions in which I was partaking.

Really entertaining and informative!

Made me want do try whole hog bbq, some of the stews mentioned, as well as several fermentation projects.

Fascinating!

Michael Pollan does it again with humor, incredible history and hands on experience. The first section was a bit intense, but still fascinationg. I love the journalistic approach and yet it feels and is very personal.

I had to start making sourdough bread.

What did you like best about this story?

Michael Pollan's passion and interest comes through clearly. He made me become fascinated with sourdough bread and I bought and now care for a sourdough starter (named Fred).

Immersive and entertaining

I just love how he deep dives and immerses himself in each process and makes it feel like something we can all do, along with giving a nice historical back story. This along, with the people he interacts, creates a tale that teaches and lingers in the mind. I love all his books and the thoughtful way he presents the topics and how they relate to our modern lives.

Illuminating and inspiring!

Great book, great author! Really enjoyed listening to him explore new areas and bring them to life for us in his unique way. Very inspiring to try new things for myself!

I cook now.

I have enjoyed many of Mr. Pollans books and was excited to find this addition to his self read collection. I really enjoyed " A place of my own" and hoped it would be more along the lines of that than some of his past dissections of the Lipid Theory. I enjoyed those also but this book really made me see cooking in a different light. I took some valuable knowledge away from this writing. I became friends with the sour dough culture in my kitchen, appreciate the baking process so much more and open up a whole new world when it comes to meat. The beer I have yet to try. For those who even have a slight interest in cooking.... Michael Pollan will or tries very well to change your perspective on the subject in the way most Pollan fans would expect. Loads of research and thought go in to all his works and he did not fail here.

where did what eat come from

What did you love best about Cooked?

i real enjoyed how the book talk about how the food we eat comes in to being

Great book!

Fantastic! Very exciting and inspiring! I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about food.